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Manipulation Adjustments vs. Mobilization
Improve Range of Motion. Regain Independence.
When the joints aren’t functioning properly, you may experience chronic aches and pains throughout the body. This pain can severely impact the quality of your life. Luckily, there are joint mobilization and adjustment techniques used by practitioners to reduce stiffness and increase overall mobility.
What Is the Difference Between Joint Manipulation Adjustments and Joint Mobilization?
Joint manipulation adjustments are more often used by chiropractors, and joint mobilization is typically used in physical therapy practices. Which technique is best suited for you will depend on what health conditions or joint sensitivities you have.
What Are Manipulation Adjustments?
Manipulation adjustments are commonly used in chiropractic therapy for musculoskeletal pain. A chiropractor will make adjustments to the joint either by hand or with a medical instrument to realign the joints and reduce pain.
How Does Manipulation Adjustment Work?
Manipulation adjustments typically coincide with traditional medical care and require an X-ray or MRI before a chiropractor applies controlled pressure on the joint to stretch it out and align the vertebrae. As the pressure is applied, the joints may crack during the adjustment, which releases any tightness surrounding the joint. Manipulation adjustments usually are not painful and can provide relief to patients suffering from ongoing pain.
What Are the Benefits of Manipulation Adjustments?
There are numerous benefits to manipulation adjustments for treating both everyday stiffness and more serious inflammation of the joints. These benefits may include recovery after an injury, improved posture, improved range of motion, fewer headaches, and reduced pain and stiffness of the joint. Using this technique can overall improve a patient’s daily activity and independence to help them enjoy life to its fullest.
What Conditions Could Manipulation Adjustments Help Treat?
Manipulation adjustments can help ease symptoms of several conditions. The pressure and stretching in the treatment is best for people with health problems such as:
What Is Joint Mobilization?
Joint mobilization, unlike manipulation adjustments, is used by physical therapy professionals to stabilize the joints and improve the overall function of the joint. With this technique, manual pressure is applied around the painful or stiff area of the body to stretch the joints and lightly pull them to reduce tension.
What Are the Types of Joint Mobilization?
There are a couple of kinds of joint mobilization a physical therapist may use: sustained joint mobilization and oscillatory joint mobilization.
What Is Sustained Joint Mobilization?
Sustained joint mobilization reduces joint compression through steady pulling and traction movements that are held for a longer period. This steady stretching surrounding the soft tissue can improve mobility and reduce pain.
What Is Oscillatory Joint Mobilization?
Oscillatory joint mobilization is when gentle movement is applied at a slow speed. Additionally, the motion of the pressure around the joint may also vary in movement size depending on the patient’s severity of pain and how much pressure they can tolerate. This technique can help improve the range of joint motion.
What Are the Benefits of Joint Mobilization?
Similar to the benefits of a chiropractor’s manipulation adjustments, joint mobilization offers a host of benefits to patients such as pain reduction, improved range of motion, enhanced physical function of the joints, and decreased soreness or stiffness. However, it should be noted that joint mobilization is not always a cure for specific health diagnoses; instead, it can offer temporary relief and a reintroduction to activity for the targeted region.
What Conditions Could Joint Mobilization Help Treat?
Therapeutic joint mobilization can help ease symptoms of several conditions. The applied pressure to the troubled joints in treatment is best for people with health problems such as:
What Conditions Could Joint Manipulation or Mobilization Aggrivate?
Both joint manipulation adjustments and mobilization are relatively safe practices. However, some people with specific health conditions may not be able to tolerate the pressure and stretching involved with both therapies. If caution is not taken, the pressure could further aggravate a patient’s condition or pose a risk for an adverse reaction. If you have a health condition it is always best to consult with a medical doctor for proper testing and diagnosis before undergoing any physical adjustments or mobilization techniques. Conditions that these therapies may aggravate include:
