Comparison of manipulation and stabilization exercises in patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction patients: A randomized clinical trial

Background: Manual therapy and exercise therapy are two common treatments for low back pain. Although their effects have been discussed in several studies, the superiority of one over the other for patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction is still unclear.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of manipulation (M) and stabilization exercises (S) in patients with subacute or chronic sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

Methods: The participants in this randomized controlled trial study were patients with subacute or chronic sacroiliac joint dysfunction for more than 4 weeks and less than 1 year. A total of 40 patients were randomized with a minimization method to the M (n = 20) or S (n = 20) group; 15 patients in each group received treatment. The treatment program lasted 2 week in group M and 4 weeks in group S. Pain and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were recorded before and immediately after the treatment period.

Results: Both groups showed significant improvement in assessed pain and ODI (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in post-intervention assessed pain or ODI (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: Despite the improvements seen after both manipulation and stabilization exercise therapies in patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction, there was no significant between-group difference in the treatment effects. This result suggests that neither manual therapy nor stabilization exercise therapy is superior for treating subacute or chronic sacroiliac joint dysfunction.