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Principles of Manual Medicine

Unilateral Flexed Sacrum


Overview A direct action, muscle energy procedure for treating a left flexed sacrum in the prone position.

Diagnosis

  • Position: Left unilateral anterior nutated sacrum (left flexed sacrum).
  • Motion restriction: Left Unilateral Posterior Nutation.

The patient should be prone with the operator standing on the left side.


Step 1 The operator's left hand monitors left sacral base of the patient while the right arm introduces abduction of patient's left leg to approximately 15°.


Step2 The operator internally rotates the patient's left leg, gapping the posterior aspect of the left sacroiliac joint. The patient should be instructed to hold the leg in that position.


Step 3 With his right arm straight, the operator places the heel of his hand on the left inferior lateral angle and springs the patient's sacrum from above, below, and from side to side until the point of maximum motion is identified at the left sacral base.


Step 4 The patient should be instructed to take a maximum inhalation and to hold that breath as the operator maintains a ventral and cephalic compressive force on the left inferior lateral angle.


Note Go back and reevaluate our anatomical landmarks to see if in fact we have changed the relative position of the ILA, the sacral base, and enhanced posterior nutational movement of the left sacral base.