Biomechanical Evaluation Study of SI Joint Dysfunction Yields Significant Change in Winter Olympic 2022

Digital Journal, February 02, 2022

Author: 24-7 Press Release

Digital Journal

www.digitaljournal.com

PRESS RELEASE

HONG KONG
February 02, 2022

Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is one of the most common symptoms in athletes. With one week to go until the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, athletes are making their final push to strive for glory at the quadrennial winter sports extravaganza. Investigators from Chiropractic Doctors Association of Hong Kong have launched a prospective 2022 case study on Biomechanical Evaluation of Pelvic Incident to SI Joint Dysfunction(1) which has potential to improve the management for Beijing Winter Olympic 2022 Training.

The sacroiliac joint is designed to act as a shock absorber for the upper extremities. In most athletes’ cases with low back pain, the source of lower back pain is sacroiliac pain. The sacroiliac joints are two load-bearing joints at the base of the spine. These joints support the upper body when standing. High-impact movements by athletes put excess strain on SI joints. The joints become inflamed, causing pain when standing, numbness, and weakness. Research estimates about 40% of athletes have SI pain.

“SIJ dysfunction is a common cause of low back pain in athletes, especially in sports with repetitive, asymmetric loading. Consideration of the SIJ as a pain generator in this population is important because sports can predispose athletes to SIJ pathology,” described by Dr Li Peng, member of CDAHK. Dr Li entered the Chinese Olympic Committee in 2018 and started his career in providing medical care for the national teams. He is currently acting as the Instructor of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games National Team Medical Staff Sports Rehabilitation Skills Training Course.

The diagnosis of sacroiliac joint pain is difficult due to its symptoms mimicking disc or lower back pain. The current preferred diagnostic tool used is an invasive tool: an injection with a local anesthetic. Although treatment can be minimally invasive with short procedure time, metal implant and recovery time are sometimes required. However, Olympic athletes are cautious to avoid any chemical injection into their body systems.

The original study was initiated by Dr Eric Chun Pu Chu, Chairman of CDAHK, in a review of management of imbalanced gait (2-4), scoliosis (5-8), low back pain and disc herniation (9-12) at New York Medical Group (NYMG). During their studies, the investigators measured the pain scores, range of motions, and all radiological parameters using an optical tracking system before and after treatments.Pelvic incidence (PI) is a radiographic parameter describing the relative position of the sacral endplate in relation to the pelvis, and implications of PI change under pathological conditions have not yet fully investigated. The results revealed that non-pharmaceutical treatment significantly changed the pelvic incidence angles and reduced pain score. Additionally, the original inflammatory sclerosis surrounding the right SIJ in the x ray had resolved after treatments.The incidental finding provides a new angle in management of SIJ pain, which can immediately apply to the athletes in 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic.

“The dysfunction starts when your sacroiliac joint gets inflamed. There are several reasons it could happen. You could hurt it when you play sports or if you fall down. You might also get this problem from an activity that gives the area a regular pounding, like jogging. You could take uneven strides when you play sports with SI joint pain. The new approach can help the sports doctors to provide more accurate diagnosis and different options of treatments,” stated by Dr Li in Beijing.

Dr Chu suggests biomechanical treatments such as ROBOSPINE® spine remodeling technology, and chiropractic biophysics, many of which can efficiently rectify spinal misalignment and low back pain. The revolutionary high-tech design of the spine remodeling technologies comprises computer control of enhanced therapeutic logic and patient-pleasing comfort elements such as mild pneumatic traction administration. Traditional Gua Sha therapy, or tech-advanced Strig®, are all beneficial in the treatment of muscle pain (13). Itrac® is also good for neck pathology (14-18). Combined, this system works to enhance the modern physical medicine clinic.

As the chiropractic profession is booming and creating more impact in the sports medicine industry (19-21), CDAHK is happy to discover the innovative new procedure in the diagnosis of SIJ pain, so that we may provide even more treatment options to help minimize or eliminate chronic joint or back pain for patients. The new approach can benefit both athletes and any patients with SIJ pain.

REFERENCES

1) Chu EC. Change in Pelvic Incidence Associated With Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction: A Case Report. 2022 January; J Med Cases. 2022;13(1):31-35
2) Chu ECP, Wong AYL, Lee LYK. Chiropractic care for low back pain, gait and posture in a patient with Parkinson’s disease: a case report and brief review. AME Case Rep. 2021;5:34. doi: 10.21037/acr-21-27. eCollection 2021. PubMed PMID: 34805753; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8572672.
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ABOUT THE CHIROPRACTIC DOCTORS ASSN OF HONG KONG

The Chiropractic Doctors Association of Hong Kong (CDAHK) is the largest professional chiropractic organization in Hong Kong and China. CDAHK is the globally awarded association and recruited the most principled and accomplished chiropractors, and provided premium chiropractic healthcare. The CDAHK pioneered the healthcare industry by collaborating with other health care professionals, by influencing pro-chiropractic legislation, by supporting clinical research and by using that clinical experience to inform rehabilitative practices. To learn more, visit www.cda.org.hk