How often have we considered that our patient may be limited in their range of motion because they lack stability?
When I was in PT many years ago, I was taught that a person needs to have stability in order to have mobility. This is a well established rehabilitation concept and an often utilized principle with regard to positioning in the neurological patient population.
Stability within our system comes from our core muscles. They are the deep 1 joint muscles that are found in every joint and they must fire in order to allow our moving muscles to work. A good example of the this is the relationship of the rotator cuff and shoulder flexion. If the rotator cuff is torn, the shoulder joint cannot flex.
If I had been given $100 every time that I gained range of motion with a patient only to find that it was lost on the next visit, I would be very wealthy.
The reason for this can be 2 fold:
- I didn't addressed or assessed the stability component of the joint that I was working on.
- The patient became inflamed between visits and there was core muscle shut down. Remember for every cubic centimeter a muscle shuts down by 1 %.
If you find yourself having difficulty gaining or maintaining range in your patient consider addressing the stability of that joint.
