Top 5 Fridays! 5 Common Lower Quarter Dysfunctions | Modern Manual Therapy Blog - Manual Therapy, Videos, Neurodynamics, Podcasts, Research Reviews

Top 5 Fridays! 5 Common Lower Quarter Dysfunctions


Here are 5 very common lower quarter restricted areas that I find regardless of Sx or clinical presentation. Good areas to target as they address common dysfunctional patterns and movements.

Working on these areas can help the following things, but it's not an exhaustive list.

1) Psoas

  • look at for cases of FAI
  • can limit squatting, hip IR
  • limits hip dissociation
  • causes SIJ compression in female runners 
  • release of superior tissue attachments to in breathing dysfunction
  • release it bilaterally or unilaterally for spinal stenosis/anterior pelvic tilt



2) QL

  • can limit trunk rotation
  • can limit sidegliding in standing ipsilaterally
  • a go to for unilateral lumbosacral pain presentation (not condition)



3) ITB/TFL

  • limits hip flexion, IR, ER
  • often a cause of referred knee pain
  • after release, be sure to strengthen gluteus medius
  • also may limit #4 - tibial IR



4) Tibial IR

  • often limited by ITB, weak glut med, causing increased genu valgus in closed chain activities
  • femur adducts, internally rotates, causing tibial ER, ankle eversion



5) Talocrural joint

  • a chain from above
    • weak glut med 
    • femoral adduction, IR
    • tibial ER
    • forefoot eversion causing lateral talar posterior glide, medial anterior glide
    • results in loss of ankle df in forefoot neutral



The last 3 I look at in almost every lower quarter dysfunction presentation I can find. They're patterns of dysfunction that are very common despite the complaint.

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