• Peterson J
• Resh R
• Wallace H

• Alcohol Drinking
• Skin Temperature
• Thermography

This is an introductory study of the short-term effects of the controlled ingestion of alcohol on paraspinal skin temperature. During one four-hour period, eight subjects each consumed one ounce of alcohol per hour. Initial and subsequent blood alcohol levels were measured and full back and cervical paraspinal thermographic scans were performed on each subject. It was determined that as little as one ounce of alcohol modified the paraspinal temperature within one half hour after ingestion. Not only were prior thermoregulation hypotheses supported, this work tended to confirm the authors' hypothesis that paraspinal skin temperature is regulated at the spinal level. Such information is of considerable significance to chiropractic, especially where paraspinal temperature assessment is used. Further research is needed to better define the relationship between neurochemical or other autonomic challenges and the regulation of skin temperature by the sympathetic nervous system.

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