The Effect of Lumbar and Sacroiliac Manipulation on Football Players

The purpose of this study was to assess the immediate effects of chiropractic spinal manipulation methods on the lumbar and sacroiliac regions on professional soccer players' flexibility and leaping abilities.

The study included 45 professional soccer players who were previously informed about the study and met the inclusion criteria. The 45 participants were then randomly divided into three groups: lumbar manipulation group (n=15), sacroiliac joint manipulation group (n=15) and control group (n=15). The V-Sit Reach Test was used to assess flexibility, the vertical jump test (on the wall) was used to assess vertical jump, and horizontal jump was assessed with the help of a tape on the hall floor. Each test was repeated twice and the best result was recorded in centimeters (cm.). Five minutes after the initial tests were performed, the lumbar spinal manipulation group underwent lumbar spinal manipulation on the identified dysfunctional segment, the sacroiliac joint manipulation group underwent sacroiliac joint manipulation on the dysfunctional side, and the control group did not receive any treatment. The same tests were then repeated without any waiting period and the best result was recorded.