| Joint mobility training involves actively moving your | | | | moves may include elements of Tai Chi, yoga, dance, |
| joints with the intent of restoring or maintaining your | | | | and the martial arts. |
| mobility. It improves the flexibility of the joints by | | | | The basis for joint mobility training lies in two areas. |
| reducing excess tension surrounding the joints and by | | | | One, it works with your body's reflexes to restore lost |
| improving the coordination - more efficient movement. | | | | motion due to injury, stress, poor posture, and lack of |
| Specifically, you only move as far as is pain-free, not | | | | movement. It seems that reflexes can impair joint |
| pushing through areas of tension. By working within | | | | function long after the threat of harm is gone. |
| these guidelines, you can reduce tension in the muscles | | | | Reflexes that were meant to protect the body, but |
| surrounding the joints, speed recovery from exercise, | | | | are still active at a later time. The muscles surrounding |
| and restore lost motion from past injuries. | | | | a joint will reflexively spasm or tighten to protect a joint |
| It works to restore proper posture and increase your | | | | from further injury. |
| movement efficiency through increased control over | | | | Meaning, movement has to be retrained after injury to |
| your movements. This emphasis on posture and | | | | restore proper function. Proprioception, which is the |
| controlled movement helps to re-educate the nervous | | | | body's ability to sense and feel where it is in relation to |
| system. | | | | movement,is often impaired after injury. It needs to be |
| If you have had low back pain, it can help you deal | | | | retrained in order to work properly. |
| with it and prevent it from reoccurring. If you have had | | | | Joint mobility work does an excellent job of retraining |
| neck or shoulder problems from past injury, it can | | | | proprioception (re-educates the nervous system). By |
| release tension and reduce pain. | | | | moving at a speed it can control, in a range of motion |
| Initially, you move every joint or group of joints in an | | | | that is pain-free, avoiding unnecessary tension, |
| isolated manner to help restore or maintain mobility. | | | | movement is gradually restored. Your movements |
| This is done in a standing position to enhance posture. | | | | become more efficient, because you have greater |
| Simple rotations to start and then gradually more | | | | control over them. |
| complex patterns involving multiple joints. | | | | According to Dr. Eric Cobb, who introduced me to this |
| As you progress from basic rotations to more | | | | work, you need a balance between tension and |
| complex figure 8 patterns, you provide a greater | | | | relaxation in the muscles for optimal performance. |
| stimulus to the nervous system, which adapts to this | | | | While that may seem rather obvious, it's a perfect |
| stress in a positive manner. | | | | example of how our complex bodies often function in |
| What separates it from other movement systems is | | | | a simple manner. |
| the isolation of every joint movement to start with. | | | | That we should be able to move through a great |
| Both for each joint or group of joints, and then for | | | | range of motion, but still have control and stability |
| movements that involve multiple joints. These additional | | | | through that motion. "Mobility with Stability". |