Hamstring muscle strain treated by mobilizing the sacroiliac joint

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two types of treatment of hamstring muscle strains. Twenty patients with hamstring muscle strains were assigned randomly to an Experimental Group (n = 10) or a Control Group (n = 10). Peak torque production of the quadriceps femoris and hamstring muscles and hamstring muscle length were measured before and after treatment. The hamstring muscles of the Experimental and Control groups were treated with moist heat followed by passive stretching. The Experimental Group also received manipulation of the sacroiliac joint. The change in hamstring muscle peak torque was significantly greater for the Experimental Group than for the Control Group (p less than .005). No significant differences existed between the two groups in either quadriceps femoris muscle peak torque or hamstring muscle length. The results of this study suggest a relationship between sacroiliac joint dysfunction and hamstring muscle strain.