Joint Mobilization
The more you understand your body and how it functions, the better equipped you'll be at taking care of yourself to achieve optimal health. Our team of physical therapists empower patients to take charge of your own health and future, educating you about your condition to decrease your need for future care. We've included the Patient Education section on our website to provide you with valuable, practical wellness information which you can incorporate into your lifestyle to improve the quality of your life. We hope you will turn to these pages whenever you have a question about health related issues and urge you to contact our practice.
Joints are points in the body where two bones meet. They are surrounded by soft tissue, which is susceptible to injury or disease. Joint mobilization is a physical therapy technique designed to relieve pain and muscle spasms, release tension and improve flexibility in a joint. By increasing the client’s awareness of the correct position and movement of a joint and simulating smooth joint function, joint mobilization improves range of motion and mobility.
Using small, passive movements, a physical therapist manually moves a joint, gently working it through a natural level of resistance. These motions stretch and strengthen the tissue surrounding the bone, which helps reduce pain and increase range of motion.
Every joint is classified on a five grade scale for range of motion. Grades I and II are used predominantly to reduce pain and stiffness. Grades III through V are used primarily to increase mobility and joint play.
Joint mobilization should not be confused with joint manipulation, a similar manual technique for strengthening joints. With joint manipulation, the physical therapist applies a forceful thrust to the joint movement, which stretches the tissue and restores joint play.