Startseite Medizin OMT for Patients With Sacral Somatic Dysfunction
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OMT for Patients With Sacral Somatic Dysfunction

  • Katherine Yu , Kim Pfotenhauer und Stacey Pierce-Talsma
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 1. März 2018

OMT Minute: OMT for Patients With Sacral Somatic Dysfunction

eVideo. Sacral rocking can optimize biomechanical efficiency of the pelvis.

The sacrum is an important keystone for normal gait mechanics, connecting mechanical forces from the lower extremities and providing a foundation of support for the body. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) may be used to treat somatic dysfunction of the sacrum to optimize the biomechanical efficiency of the pelvis. Additionally, treatment of the sacrum may influence parasympathetic tone to the large intestine and genitourinary systems. Parasympathetic innervation arises from the S2-S4 spinal levels and exits via the ventral rami to become the pelvic splenic nerves, which travel to their target organ. In this way, treatment of the sacrum may aid in conditions including low back pain, constipation, and dysmenorrhea.

One technique for sacral somatic dysfunction is sacral rocking (video), which uses breathing to reduce respiratory restriction of the sacrum. Respiratory motion affects the lumbar spine via diaphragm attachments at L1 through L3. During inhalation, lumbar lordosis decreases; as a result, the sacral base moves posteriorly, also known as counternutation. During exhalation, the lumbar lordosis increases, moving the sacral base anteriorly, also known as nutation. These motions are exaggerated during the sacral rocking technique and thus can improve somatic dysfunction and restriction of the sacrum.


From the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine–CA in Vallejo.
Financial Disclosures: None reported.
Support: This video was produced by the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine–CA.

*Address correspondence to Stacey Pierce-Talsma, DO, 1310 Club Dr, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA, 94592-1187. Email:


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Accepted: 2018-02-07
Published Online: 2018-03-01
Published in Print: 2018-03-01

© 2018 American Osteopathic Association

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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