Muscles & Pelvic Clutch

AbstractThe forward bending test has served manual medicine practitioners for many years in determining the side of a stiff sacroiliac joint in cases of somatic dysfunction. This study evaluated the frequency of an apparently ‘abnormal’ forward bending test in a cohort of young individuals, without back pain. Pseudo-leg-length discrepancy from asymlocation (asymmetric, but not dysfunctional positional asymmetry, of the sacroiliac articulations) was assessed. The ease in which the asymlocation could be changed, in this apparently healthy cohort, was recorded. Finally the strength of the abductors of the hip was measured in the short and long positions of the legs (anterior and posterior positions of the ilia). The observations led to the postulate that the abductors of the hip playa physiologic role in initiating force closure with heel strike in human walking.