flexion, hypomobility, kaltenborn, lumbar segmental mobility, lumbar spine, maitland, ortho, PPIVM, side lying, special, spine, treatment

Purpose

Used to determine the amount of segmental flexion in the lumbar spine. Can also be used as a treatment if hypomobility found.

Technique

Patient positioned sidelying.

Clinician makes sure the patient is close to the edge of the table and in a neutral spine position.
With female patients, a towel roll is needed for proper neutral spine alignment. Clinician places towel roll under the iliac crest to achieve neutral spine.

Clinician stands facing the patient with caudal leg forward.

Clinician flexes patient’s hips and knees up to 90° and places patient’s knees in his groin giving the Clinician control of the patient’s pelvis.

Clinician palpates PSIS to find the sacrum and L5.

Clinician’s caudal hand is on S1 and cranial hand is on L5.

Clinician moves his legs to take up the slack and move the patient into flexion.

Clinician feels for tautness in the S1/L5 suprspinous ligament.

Clinician then moves cranial hand up to L4 and caudal hand up to L5.

Clinician repeats the process as he moves cranial up the lumbar spine to L1.

References

1. Dutton, M. (2008). Orthopaedic: Examination, evaluation, and intervention (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2. Kaltenborn, F.M. (2009). Manual mobilization of the joints: The spine volume I I (5th ed.). Minneapolis, MN: OPTP.

Related videos:

1. Lumbar Segmental Mobility (side bending)
2. Lumbar Segmental Mobility (rotation)
3. Lumbar Segmental Mobility (extension)
4. Maitland Lumbar PAIVM (skeletal model)
5. Maitland Lumbar PAIVM (human model)