Sacroiliac Stretching Improves Glenohumeral Internal Rotational Deficit of the Opposite Shoulder in Baseball Players in a Randomized Control Trial

Glenohumeral Internal Rotational Deficit (GIRD) is a well-documented finding in throwing athletes. The purpose of this study is to investigate if stretching the contralateral sacroiliac (SI) joint improves GIRD in baseball players. Additionally, we aimed to compare our SI joint stretching regiment with a classically described sleeper stretch routine. In this study of asymptomatic minor league baseball players, we found that over 50% had decreased internal rotation compared to the non-throwing shoulder. Our results demonstrate greater improvement in shoulder range of motion after stretching of the contralateral SI joint compared to a sleeper’s stretch.