Joint Mobilization In Vail Valley, CO

What is Joint Mobilization?

Joint mobilization involves passive movement of certain joints through the skilled application force, direction, or technique. The physical therapist may use their hands to mobilize the affected joint, or use other tools such as straps to achieve the desired effect.

For more information on our joint mobilization techniques and if you feel you might benefit, please contact us today.

What should I expect from Joint Mobilization in Vail Valley, CO?

A thorough evaluation will be performed on all patients who present with chronic or acute joint pain. To diagnose accurately, we will assess and evaluate everything, including your strength, coordination, range of motion, pain level, posture, relative tissue tension, and strength.

We will be able to create a personalized treatment plan for you based on the results of our examination and information we gather from you regarding your past and current medical history. We may include manual therapy such as joint mobilization in your care plan, since it has been proven to be effective in treating a wide range of conditions.

Comfortable and loose-fitting clothing is important for joint mobilization sessions. The therapist must be able to feel or see the particular joint that he/she is mobilizing. We respect your privacy and will not ask for any sensitive information. Your physical therapist will give you clear instructions on how to lie down during the session and what you can expect to feel. Also, you will be given advice about what to do afterward to maximize your experience and avoid recurring pain.

We will also help you to optimize the joint mobilizations’ effects. This could include additional services such as therapeutic exercises for strengthening and range-of-motion, modalities and postural and neuromuscular rehabilitation.

Can joint mobilization be used to treat my condition?

Sometimes, a joint may become irritated, swollen or misaligned due to injury, stress, poor posture or repetitive movement or age-related wear and tear. This can cause the joint to become painfully stiff or unable to move properly. As a result, nearby structures, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, may become tightened or injured to try and stabilize the injured joint. This can cause muscle weakness, nerve damage and even impingement.

Joint mobilization may not be right for everyone. Our skilled and experienced physical therapists will help you decide if joint mobilization is right for you. Our physical therapy team is able to successfully manage the following conditions with joint mobilizations:

• Whiplash
• Ankle sprains
• Rotator cuff tears or sprains
• Sciatica and other types nerve impingement syndromes
• Arthritis, especially of the shoulder, spine and elbow, hip, knee, and hip.
• Adhesive capsuleitis (frozen shoulder).
• Medial and lateral epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow)
• Facet joint locking, and other spinal misalignments

Many other injuries and conditions are caused by joint issues, including muscle strains and ligament damage. We strongly recommend that you consult your physical therapists if you have any type of chronic or acute dysfunction. You may not realize that your joints are contributing to your pain.

Why use Joint Mobilization in Vail Valley, CO?

There are hundreds of joints within your body. They come in many sizes and types, such as the “hinge” joint in your elbow, the “ball and socket” joint in your hip or the “saddle” joint in your thumb. The articulating surfaces of two or more bones form joints. They require a combination of stability and mobility to function effectively and comfortably. It is important to note that joints can be supported by many physiological structures, such as capsules, ligaments and tendons, cartilage and muscle fibers. All of these structures can become damaged and may benefit from physical therapy, including joint mobilization.

The type, frequency, speed and magnitude of joint mobilization depends on many factors. These include the purpose of treatment, the type and location of the joint and your individual anatomy. Joint mobilizations can reduce pain, improve range of motion and enhance the quality of joint movement (known as arthrokinematics).

Talk to one of our physical therapists in Vail Valley, CO right away!

Do you wonder if joint mobilization is right for your needs? Our team invites you to schedule an appointment to discuss the wide variety of physical therapy services that we offer. It is possible to get pain relief without the use of drugs. Start your journey to healing today.