Sacral motion

Fred Mitchell, Sr, performed extensive woik with sacral motion and its relation to gait. He was a leader in the development of the Muscle Energy technique. He developed the technique based on some theories of a technique developed by T. J. Ruddy, an ophthalmologist. The technique was called Resistive Duction and had been used in the treatment of eye disorders. Tutorials were developed to teach Muscle Energy tech-niques to osteopathic college faculty and practicing osteopathic physicians. 

The sacrum rocks on a transverse axis through the articular pillar of the second sacral segment posterior to the sacral canal. This motion must be differentiated from respiratory sacral motion, which is caused by spinal motion and contraction of the pelvic diaphragm. The axis of involuntary sacral motion lies anterior to the sacral canal and passes through the body of S2 at the junction of the short and long arms of the L-shaped sacral articulation. 

The three principal kinds of motions that occur in the pelvis are sacral motions on the ilium, ilial motions on the sacrum, and pubic motions. 

The sacral motions on the ilium and the axes on which they occur are as follows ... 

The axes of sacral motion on the ilium are shown in Figure 57-4. 

There are no muscles that directly insert into both the sacrum and the ilium exclusively. Therefore, the usual facilitated positional release techniques do not apply. What will be described is a method for diagnosing sacral motion restriction on the ilium and a biomechanical technique to normalize the joint motion, if needed. 

FIG. 63-5 Demonstration of the treatment of a right sacral motion restriction. 

Counterstrain and facilitated positional release techniques are most useful. Each of the three tender points must be treated, if they are present, to be effective. Any dysfunction of sacral motion should also be corrected. A piriformis stretching exercise should be prescribed for use at home. 

He received osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to relieve the muscle hypertonicity, the somatic dysfunction, and to increase the cranial-sacral motion. In addition, he was given al-lopurinol and K-citrate to assist in reducing his uric acid as well as to create alkaline urine. 

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