title: Manual Therapy Practices of Sobadores in North Carolina.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This analysis provides a description of the manual-therapy elements of sobadores practicing in North Carolina, using videotapes of patient treatment sessions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three sobadores allowed the video recording of eight patient treatment sessions (one each for two sobadores, six for the third sobador). Each of the recordings was reviewed by an experienced chiropractor who recorded the frequencies of seven defined manual-therapy elements: (1) treatment time; (2) patient position on treatment surface; (3) patient body part contacted by the sobador; (4) sobador examination methods; (5) primary treatment processes; (6) sobador body part area referencing patient; and (7) adjunctive treatment processes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The range of treatment time of 9-30 min was similar to the treatment spectra that combine techniques used by conventional massage and manipulative practitioners. The patient positions on the treatment surface were not extraordinary, given the wide variety of treatment processes used, and indicated the sobadores treat patients in multiple positions. The patient body part contacted by the sobadores indicated that they were treating each of the major parts of the musculoskeletal system. Basic palpation dominated the sobadores' examination methods. The sobadores' primary treatment processes included significant variety, but rubbing was the dominant practice. The hands were the sobador body area that most often made contact with the patient. They all used lubricants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sobadores' methods are similar to those of other manual-therapy practitioners. Additional study of video-recorded sobador practices is needed. Video-recorded practice of other traditional and conventional manual therapies for comparative analysis will help delineate the specific similarities and differences among the manual therapies.
authors.affiliation: 1 Graham Chiropractic PLLC , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Family and Community Medicine, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Joanne C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sandberg
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Quandt
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Family and Community Medicine, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Dana C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Family and Community Medicine, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Arcury
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D026201:Musculoskeletal Manipulations / Q000379:methods*; D009657:North Carolina
keywords: Latino/Hispanic health; folk medicine; immigrant health; manual therapy; traditional healers