Sacroiliac Joint Injury
(Lumbopelvic Dysfunction)
Sacroiliac Joint injury is not well understood by many
clinicians. Lumbopelvic Dysfunction is actually a better term for
abnormal mechanics involving the low back, pelvis and Sacroiliac
Joint. Understanding lumbopelvic dysfunction is the key to
understanding the biomechanics of the lower extremity.
Joint Sequencing
It is easy to look at foot or knee pain or low back pain as simply
that...foot or knee pain, but keep in mind that everything is
connected. The entire body is a series of joints which alternate
between stable and mobile connections. Starting at the foot, the
ankle should be mobile, the knee should be stable. Continuing up,
the hip should be mobile, while the core and low back should be
stable. Next, the Thoracic spine must be mobile for shoulder
health, while the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder should be
stable. And the trend continues...
With that in mind, if you are treating pain or injury without looking
at the entire sequence of joints, you will likely miss either an
unstable or immobile joint.
Related Injuries
You're thinking, sure that sounds good, but what are the specific
injuries that you are talking about? The list of injuries related
to lumbopelvic dysfunction is extensive, but here are some of the most
common:
What is Lumbopelvic Dysfunction?
Lumbopelvic Dysfunction refers to an injury to the area of the pelvis,
low back, and sacroiliac joint which oftentimes sends a ripple effect
to the rest of the body. This typically occurs because part of
the pelvis rotates forward (anteriorly) or slips upward (upslip).
You may also find that the same injuries are also called:
For the most part, these terms are pretty
interchangeable for the purposes of this discussion and reflect
terminology differences between physicians, osteopaths, chiropractors,
physical therapists, and athletic trainers.
 Many people either don't realize or forget that the
pelvis is actually 2 separate bones and they can move relative to each
other. Lumbopelvic Dysfunction will present as an Anterior
Rotation or an
Upslip
on half of the pelvis as compared to the opposite side.
What about Leg Length Inequality?
The vast majority of the population has some sort of a
leg length difference, which can be a huge component of the overall
lumbopelvic and sacroiliac problem. It's not hard to find a leg
length inequality(click here
to see the
evaluation
process). But, that leaves us with a lot of questions:
- Is it an anatomical
or functional
leg length difference?
- How long has it been there, and does it matter?
- Is is causing my lumbopelvic dysfunction?
- Is it because of my lumbopelvic dysfunction?
- Should I leave it alone or treat it?
- If I treat it, what is the best method?
For detailed information, click on the appropriate link
below to learn everything you need to know about the specifics of
lumbopelvic dysfunction, including prevalence, causes, contributing
factors, related injuries and treatment.
Back to Home
|
