Joint activity training methods

On the premise of not causing damage to joints, ligaments, and soft tissues, targeted movements are used to expand the range of joint movement and maintain normal movement functions. The general principle is to "first assess the baseline of one's own activities, movements not exceeding the pain threshold, and combining active training with passive assistance as needed." There is no universal training template, and all movements must match the individual's physical condition.

Last week I evaluated a sophomore student who had just had his ankle cast removed. He heard from his relatives that "after the cast is removed, you have to break it off before you can walk." He spent three days with the cast at home, and it was so swollen that he couldn't even put on slippers. He was limping when he came in. Fortunately, the ligaments were not injured after the X-ray was taken. It was soft tissue edema caused by forced traction. Too many people have fallen into this pitfall. Many people’s understanding of joint mobility training is still stuck in the misunderstanding that “the more painful it is, the more effective it is” and they have no idea where their joint tolerance bottom line is.

If you have never been injured, but your shoulders feel tight after sitting for a long time, or your knees feel uncomfortable after squatting on the toilet for a long time, you don't need to go to the rehabilitation department and spend a lot of money. You can practice when you are fishing. For example, if you have stiff shoulders after sitting for a long time, don't always do that kind of large rounding of the shoulders, which will easily grind the acromion. Sit on a chair, clasp your hands behind your back, and slowly lift it up. Stop when you feel a pulling sensation in front of your shoulders. Hold it for 8 seconds and then release it. Do 3 or 4 groups. It will be more effective than rubbing your shoulders for a long time.

I have to mention that there are actually two obvious directions in the current rehabilitation circle for joint mobility training. The traditional clinical rehabilitation school advocates passive loosening first, especially for people with severely limited range of motion after surgery or injury. If they cannot actively exert force themselves, they have to rely on the therapist's techniques to loosen the adherent tissues, and then slowly Transition to active training; however, the functional training school that has become popular in recent years believes that ordinary healthy people do not need to do isolated joint activity training at all. They should consciously do the maximum range when walking, reaching for high things, and squatting to pick things up. Daily activities can maintain the range of motion, and there is no need to spend time training alone. My own experience is that there is nothing wrong with either statement. It all depends on your needs - if you already have limited mobility, such as being unable to lift your arms to comb your hair, or struggling to squat down to tie your shoelaces, then targeted training alone will definitely bring quick results. If it is just daily maintenance, it will be easier to stick to it if you integrate the training into your life.

By the way, there is another point that many people confuse: active activities rely on their own muscles to drive the joints to move, while passive activities rely on external forces (such as the hands of rehabilitation practitioners, elastic bands, and family help) to drive the joints to move. Ordinary people prefer active activities for daily training, which is safer. If the range of motion is really limited, consider adding passive assistance. Don't ask others to force you to do it. The risk is too high.

Friends who love fitness must have encountered similar problems: they want to practice squats but cannot squat to the bottom. They always think that their hip flexors are tight. In fact, 80% of people have insufficient ankle dorsiflexion range of motion. You can test it yourself at home: stand barefoot on the flat ground, with your toes 10 centimeters away from the wall, and push your knees toward the wall. If your knees can touch the wall and your heels don't lift up, then the ankle mobility is fine. If not, practice ankle exercises first - find a step, step on the edge of the step with your front feet, and slowly sink your heels. Stop when you feel the back of your calf is tight. Hold for 15 seconds. Practice 5 groups each time. Practice for three or four days before squatting again, and you will know how good it is.

To be honest, joint mobility training is never complicated, and there is no need to pursue any fancy movements. The most important thing is to understand your own body, and don’t compare mobility with others. Some people are born with the ability to lower back and do the splits, while others are born with a small range of joint movement. As long as it does not affect normal life and does not hurt when exercising, there is no problem. If there is an obvious limitation of movement accompanied by pain, don't practice blindly on your own. See a professional rehabilitation practitioner for evaluation first, which is better than anything else.