Introduction
Joint mobilization is a hands-on treatment method usually performed by a physical therapist or chiropractor, the health care professional treating conditions related to the musculoskeletal system, which involves bone, muscle, and soft tissue. Passive joint mobilization is a treatment method used to decrease pain, enhance joint movements, and help to return to normal activities post-injury. Read the article to know more.
What Is Meant by Joint Mobilization?
Joint mobilization is a hands-on treatment usually performed by a physical therapist, which helps to regain the normal activity of the bones and muscles after an injury. This is a manual treatment method where the physical therapist applies force on the targeted region with pain, stiffness, or compromised joints. These forces help enhance the overall function. Joint mobilization cannot be used for all conditions, but it helps to enhance movement, eliminates pain, and reduces stiffness.
After the injury, the doctors recommend physical therapy to retain the range of motion and the activities of the affected area. Physical therapy also helps people with various chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Joint mobilization is performed by stabilizing the joint segment and traction or manual pressure is applied to the nearby region. The force applied is usually in the plane of motion, which is very tight and less mobile. This is done to enhance the overall joint function. Various mobilization methods can be used depending on the patient's tolerance and the treatment's ultimate goal.
What Are the Types of Mobilization?
There are three types.
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Oscillatory Joint Mobilization:
This method applies gentle pressure to the joint, which is slow and steady, and there is a difference in the size of movements.
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Sustained Joint Mobilization:
This method uses pulling or traction movements, which are held for some time.
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Manipulation:
This method uses high-speed thrusting movements in the direction of tightness or joint injury.
How Does Joint Mobilization Work?
Joint mobilization is usually performed to treat stiffness and pain present in any region of the body. Many regions respond well to this treatment; some are:
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Shoulder pain and impingement.
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Back pain.
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Inflammation is caused by the thick band of tissues along the base of the foot, resulting in knee pain.
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Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.
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Ankle instability or sprain.
Even though joint mobilization helps to relieve pain and stiffness and helps to restore the motion in which the forces are correctly applied, the exact mechanism of action is not fully understood. It is usually thought that this treatment method improves the ability of the body to respond to pain by making the tissue present in the affected area less sensitive to any pressure. This way of desensitizing the joint tissue helps the surrounding muscle work more effectively and supports the joint.
What Is Meant by Passive Mobilization?
Passive mobilization is moving the person’s limb, either the leg or the arm, without even the person’s participation, such as contracting the muscles. The force applied in this method has a direct impact on the connective tissue on the joint and over the muscles attached to it.
Mobilizations are very important in physical therapy or physiotherapy. There are three main categories such as:
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Analytical.
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Specific.
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Passive mobilization.
The effects of passive mobilizations are gentle and deep but are very precise. Passive mobilizations are performed based on the health condition of the person, needs, and mobility of the joint that has been affected. As the name says, the patient is relaxed in the case of passive forces in joint mobilization, and only the physical therapist will produce movements. They focus on the range of motion of the affected joint, provide pain-free treatment, and also focus on traction distraction movements, which help to enhance joint vascularisation and distraction.
Passive mobilization focuses on:
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Enhancing the affected joint's range of motion.
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Reduce adhesion and stiffness.
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Increase lymphatic drainage.
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Limited compensation because of fear avoidance.
They play an important role in the case of:
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Post-surgical rehabilitation of the knee, hip, shoulder, etc.
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Presence of joint pain due to injury or trauma.
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Osteoarthritis.
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Inflammation of the affected joint.
What Are the Benefits of Applying Passive Force in Joint Mobilization?
By applying passive forces, they act directly on the affected joint. So this may have many benefits. Some are:
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It helps to enhance joint mobility.
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Reduces the joint stiffness.
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It helps to soften the connective tissue, such as the tendon, ligament, and joint capsule.
What Are the Contraindications Related to Passive Forces?
Passive forces should be avoided when treating joint mobilization in certain situations. Some situations where passive force should not be applied are
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Presence of pain and inflammation in the affected joint.
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Presence of active infection.
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Fever.
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Recent injuries, such as fractures or sprains, along with inflammation.
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Presence of open wound.
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Presences of recent scarring.
What Are the Risks Associated With Joint Mobilization?
Joint mobilization with passive forces is considered to be safe for many people. This technique applies the required amount of pressure to the affected joint. There are some risk factors associated with it. People with some underlying condition should be more careful before getting this treatment done:
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Uncontrolled diabetes.
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Atherosclerosis is a condition where fat deposits are built in the arteries' walls.
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People under blood thinner medications.
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People with poor blood flow to the brain stem.
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Hypermobility is a condition where people lose their joint laxity from birth.
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Presence of bulge in the blood vessels.
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Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by brittle bones.
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Conditions that cause severe pain in the spine and also restrict movements.
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Unhealed or sudden fracture.
Conclusion
Joint mobilization is a hands-on treatment method that has been done with the help of a physical therapist. This is usually done to restore the range of movement, reduce pain and stiffness, reduce inflammation, etc., caused after an injury or trauma. Passive forces are applied in the affected joint region based on the person’s health condition and resistance. This method helps the person to retain the movement.
