What is joint mobilization?
You have hundreds of joints in your body, which come in a variety of types and sizes (such as a “hinge joint” in your elbow, a “ball and socket joint” in your hip, or a “saddle joint” in your thumb). Joints depend on a combination of both stability and mobility to help you function efficiently and comfortably. Importantly, joints are supported by a wide variety of physiological structures including capsules, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and muscle fibers. These can become injured and potentially benefit from physical therapy services, including a service known as joint mobilization.
Joint mobilization is a type of manual therapy performed here at our physical therapy clinic. It involves the passive movement of specific joints using the skilled application of force, direction, and technique. A physical therapist can use certain tools, like straps, or his/her hands to mobilize an affected joint. Your physical therapist will determine which option is best to help deliver the desired treatment effect.
The specific type, magnitude, speed, and frequency of joint mobilization performed depends on several factors. These factors include the goal of treatment, the type of joint being targeted, and even your own unique anatomy. Joint mobilization’s primary effects include pain reduction, improved range of motion, and improved quality of joint movement itself (known as arthrokinematics).
What conditions can benefit from joint mobilization?
Sometimes, a joint can become irritated, swollen, or misaligned. This can be a result of injury, stress, poor posture, repetitive movement, or even age-related wear and tear. When this happens, the joint may not move correctly and become stiff and painful. While trying to support or stabilize the injured joint, nearby muscles, tendons, and ligaments may become tense or injured. This can lead to muscle weakness or even impingement and damage to nearby nerves.
Joint mobilization isn’t appropriate for all patients. Our skilled physical therapists can determine if it’s the right option for you. Specific conditions that our physical therapy team successfully manage with joint mobilizations include:
- Arthritis (especially of the shoulder, spine, elbow, hip, and knee)
- Rotator cuff tears and sprains
- Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
- Medial or lateral epicondylitis (golfer’s or tennis elbow, respectively)
- Ankle sprains
- Sciatica and other types of nerve impingement syndromes
- Facet joint locking and other types of spinal misalignments
- Whiplash
Joint issues are often the hidden underlying factors driving other types of injuries and ailments, including muscle strains, ligament damage, and bursitis. This is why we strongly encourage you to consult with a physical therapist for any type of acute or chronic dysfunction. Your joints could be contributing to your pain without you even realizing it!
What should I expect during my treatment with a physical therapist?
If you visit our clinic, then you can expect to be thoroughly examined on an initial evaluation. We’ll be assessing everything from your range of motion, strength, coordination, pain level, posture, and relative tissue tension and feel. This helps us devise an accurate diagnosis. Based on our exam findings, as well as the information we glean from questioning you about your medical history, we devise a customized treatment plan to meet your unique needs. We may decide to implement joint mobilization techniques in your plan of care since it’s been effective for various conditions.
To prepare for a physical therapy session with joint mobilization, be sure to wear comfortable and loose-fitting clothing. Your therapist will need to see, or at least easily feel, the specific joint he or she is mobilizing (keeping in mind of course, that your privacy and comfort are of utmost concern to our staff).
Your physical therapist will offer you clear details on how to sit or lie during the session, what you should expect to feel, as well as what to do following your session in order to maximize effects and prevent recurring pain or dysfunction. Then, to complement and optimize the effects of joint mobilizations, we’ll also instruct you in additional services, which may include therapeutic exercises for strengthening and range of motion, modalities, and postural and neuromuscular retraining.
Are you wondering if joint mobilization is right for you? Contact our clinic today. Our friendly staff is happy to answer your questions, help you schedule an appointment, and educate you about the wide range of physical therapy services we offer. Drug-free relief from your joint or muscle pain is possible, so contact us to get your healing journey started today.
