This unblinded, non-randomised pilot study was conducted in order to determine if diversified chiropractic manipulation and/or sacro occipital technic adjustments of the sacroiliac (SI) joint could increase the short-term strength of the gastrocnemius muscle. Ninety asymptomatic male patients between the ages of 20 and 30 years participated in the investigation. These patients were recruited by the use of posters that were placed in strategic areas around the Technikon Witwatersrand campus. The patients were randomly placed into one of three groups of thirty. Group FA (force adjustment) received force, side-lying, diversified sacroiliac adjustments to the sacroiliac joint. Group NA (non-force adjustment) received non-force sacro occipital technic (SOT) adjustments to the same area by means of SOT blocking technique. The third group. Group C (control) received detuned ultrasound over the SI joint. Each patient received only one treatment. The inclusion criteria required that the patient had to be male, fall inside the above age range, and presented with asymptomatic sacroiliac joint dysfunction. This was determined either by diversified chiropractic motion palpation or SOT category analysis. Only category one patients were used in this study. The objective data was collected using an isometric dynamometer. The gastrocnemius muscle strength was measured with the dynamometer before and after the treatment. The objective results indicated that there was a statistically significant increase in gastrocnemius muscle strength in both of the experimental groups. In conclusion, it has been shown that both force and non-force adjustments positively effect active muscle strength. In this case it was shown that these types of adjustments to the SI joint caused an increase in active gastrocnemius muscle strength. It is suspected that the inhibition of the motor neuron, via the capsular stretch reflex, plays a major role in the effect seen in this study. This gives further information about the underlying mechanisms of the chiropractic adjustments and may support the role of non-force techniques in treating patients. / Dr. Chris Yelverton Dr. Malany Moodley
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:7566 |
| Date | 04 August 2008 |
| Creators | Pretorius, Grant |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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