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A pilot study comparing the effects of spinal manipulative therapy with those of extra-spinal manipulative therapy on quadriceps muscle strength.

Hillermann B, Gomes AN, Korporaal C, Jackson D

Department of Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, South Africa. bernd@hillermann.org

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess whether tibiofemoral joint manipulation is as effective as sacroiliac (SI) joint manipulation in increasing quadriceps muscle strength. DESIGN AND SETTING: Twenty subjects were divided into two groups of 10. After all base measurements of the maximum voluntary force of the quadriceps muscles were taken, subjects in group A received tibiofemoral joint manipulation and those in group B received ipsilateral SI joint manipulation. After these treatments, the maximum voluntary forces of the subjects' quadriceps muscles were retested. RESULTS: A significant improvement (P = .05) in quadriceps muscle strength was noted in the subjects who received an SI joint manipulation. CONCLUSION: This study showed a significant change within the SI joint manipulation group before and after the manipulation but did not show any significant difference between the groups (tibiofemoral joint vs SI joint manipulation) in increasing quadriceps muscle strength.

Published 7 February 2006 in J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 29(2): 145-9.
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