JOINT MOBILIZATION

This is by far the most critical component of keeping joints healthy and tolerant of stresses. Once joints begin to lose mobility, the secondary responses by the body begin a cascade of events that lead to disability and a severely reduced function.

There are many factors that will lead to joints fixating. Some that influence joint fixations;

• injuries/trauma
• heredity
• overweight
• micro- or macro-stresses
• postural imbalances
• poor conditioning
• poor nutrition
• emotional stress

The longer a joint stays fixated, the greater the possibility that degenerative changes will occur in this joint. Degenerative changes include a reduced blood flow to the surrounding tissues, adhesion formation occurring around the joint, a restriction of muscles and tendons attached near the joint, a breakdown of the disc matter in the joint and an anti-inflammatory response in and around the joint.

Loss of Joint Motion and Injuries

Joints have a reduced tolerance to stress when they lack full and normal mobility. A joint that is fixated is much more likely to incur an injury in and around that joint than a joint that has full mobility.

Secondly, joints that lack full mobility require a longer recovery time than joints that are fully mobile.

Loss of Motion and Osteoarthritis

Joints that lose mobility are on an accelerated path for degenerative changes, or osteoarthritis. According to Spine, a well respected research journal, in an article titled;

What Causes Disc Degeneration?

……. “excessive mechanical loading causes a disc to degenerate by disrupting its structure and precipitating a cascade of nonreversible cell-mediated responses leading to further disruption”.

Excessive mechanical loading occurs when there is abnormal weight bearing on a joint, and/or there is loss of normal mobility in that joint.

In addition, Wolff’s Law states that “Any bone under stress, given time, attracts calcium salts to innately fuse it to the surrounding bones as a protective measure to resolve the weakness or stress.”

 

As can be seen in Figure 1, this is a normal side view of the neck x-ray. The center of gravity of the head runs through each and every bone in the neck, spreading the weight-bearing evenly throughout the neck.

 

 

 

 

 

In Figure 2, you can see the weight-bearing is ahead of the neck, causing abnormal bone growth in the front of the lower bones of the neck, in addition to helping the disc spaces in the lower neck go through an acceleration of breakdown, or degeneration.

 

 

 

 

Keeping Joints Mobile

Currently, the chiropractic profession is about the only profession that uses joint mobilization as the primary treatment.  Although chiropractors have made many claims, and have helped many people, when it’s all said and done, they mobilize joints, and this is mandatory for a healthy structure.

The joints that can be mobilized are in the spine, the shoulders, arms, hands, pelvis, hips, knees, ankles and feet.    The frequency needed to keep good mobility in your joints depends on many circumstances, but a safe frequency, once you’ve “fixed” your underlying, deferred maintenance issues, would be once every 1-2 weeks.  This frequency works very well for most athletes.

Below, in Pictures 3 & 4, we see Lance Armstrong getting adjusted.  In one of Lance’s books, written after his 5th Tour win, he writes;

“The team wasn’t just the riders.  It was the mechanics, masseurs, chefs, soigneurs, and Drs.   But, the most important man on our team may have been our chiropractor”.

In Picture 5, we see Dr. Maggs treating the lower extremities of a young high school runner.