Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-01-22
Sacro-iIiac
Strain Helped
By Massage
Man Who Moved Lawn
\ for Doctor Aids Him
BY LOGAN CLENDENING, MD

dIdl DclltNt III Il very lIluCH
until this summer when l leaned
over TO pick up a package on
the floor.
was never warned against
this simple maneuver as some
thing that would be too strenu-
Gus for a man. even of my
advanced age, but the results
were disastrous.
Something slipped or cracked
or stuck or jammed right in the
small Of my back.
The package never did get
picked up from the floor.
/ went around for about two
weeks before I finally got well.
and l want TO say that l am
an authority on acute sacro-
lilac strain. for that is what nay
doctor said il was.
According 10 another authority
on the subject who has just
sent me an article about II. il is
pointed out that the general
practitioner should be familiar
with the condition because the
layman knows very little about
the trouble and is apt 10 confuse
it with kidney complaint.
nor this reason the orthopedic
L surgeon is rarely consulted
az first, but strains of this type
are fairly common as evidenced
by the popular belief in the
picture of the man with his
hand over his back who is
being advised to take kidney
pills.
Kidney disease rarely il ever
causes pain in this region.
The acute form of sacro-iliac
strain differs from the chronic
form in the suddenness Of it's
onset and in most instances
the amount of dislocation of the
Joint is disproportionate TO the
amount of pain and disability
and the movement or exertion
which brought on the trouble
as ! well exemplify in my case
by the package on the floor.
1t is easseto understand why
a man lifting heavy weights
should gradually develop strain
in his sacro-iliac joint, but why
person who simply reaches
down 10 get shirt out of
bureau drawer should slip this
solid joint out of position is
hard TO understand.
GONE surgeons say that the
~ sacro-iliac joint. which is
between the sacrum and the
pelvic bones is not a joint at all,
and never becomes dislocated.
but il would take all the
orthopedic surgeons from Bos-
ton 10 Vladivostok working like
riveters in a shipyard for five
years to convince me that my
sacro-iliac didn't slip out when
! reached over to pick up that
package.
This article may explain why
some OF you got backaches
after you unwrapped the ex-
penslve Christmas presents
which your relatives sent you.
Acute sacro-iliac strain being
not as complicated as chronic
sacro-iliac strain. the treatment
is relatively simple.
You seldom have to bother
with the possibility of focal in
lection of the teeth. tonsils.
or with complicated orthopedic
appliances.
THE first few-days the treat
l. ment consists in lying down.
In fact. you are not disposed
70 do anything else. and from
the amount of complaints you
make nobody is disposed to try
10 make you move after the first
few attempts.
Heat is also helpful in any
form.
When you are able 10 stand
II, massage and manipulation
are the real secrets 10 recovery.
If you get good husky who
will pull your leg around and
push your back and pelvis
pretty vigorously for an hour or
two. something suddenly seems
10 slip into place.
I do not think il requires a
great deal Of technical ability
TO do this manipulation
The man who did II 10 me
was not a learned surgeon but
the fellow who came TO NOW
our lawn.
He said he could fix me and
did.
He said II was like the kitchen
clock. When II stopped, he
shook IL.
II started.
He didn't know much about
IL. but IL worked.