Equipment for joint mobility training does not include

In the current mainstream classification standards for domestic rehabilitation diagnosis and treatment, joint activity training equipment does not include medical external fixation braces, continuous bone traction devices, and wound negative pressure drainage equipment, and pure weight-bearing strength training equipment (such as heavy barbells, professional squat racks) are generally not included in this category.

When I first entered the internship in the rehabilitation department, I went to the musculoskeletal clinic with my teacher for the first time, and I met a young man who was 3 weeks after his anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. He rolled up his trousers and showed us the adjustable knee brace he was wearing. He said that he wore it every day to swing his legs to practice range of motion, and the angle increased very quickly. The teacher's face changed at that time, and he quickly checked the stability of the graft. Fortunately, there was no major problem. He gave him a long science education on the spot: This tool is for "fixing", not for "training", and it is not considered a joint movement training device at all.

If you think about it, the ligaments and soft tissues around the joints have not yet grown in the early stage after surgery. The core function of the brace is to lock the joints at a safe angle and block unwanted dislocations and twists. Even a brace with an angle adjustment buckle only allows you to have a limited range of motion. It will not provide assistance to joint activities, nor will it guide you on the correct trajectory of movement. It is not a training device at all.

Speaking of things that can get confusing, there are bone distraction devices. Many patients who are bedridden with fractures will think that the device with a weight hanging on the leg, pulling the leg and slowly stretching it, is also considered to be a joint exercise? Actually it's not. The core function of continuous bone traction is to maintain the alignment of the fracture end with a constant pulling force to prevent muscle contraction from pulling the fracture end out of position. The traction force is along the bone line of force and does not drive the joints to do angular changes such as flexion, extension, and rotation. Naturally, it does not count. Of course, there is also a small controversy here. Some rehabilitation schools now believe that intermittent cervical/lumbar traction can drive the small joints of the spine to make micro-movements through intermittent addition and subtraction of tension. It is a generalized joint mobility assistance method. However, in the current mainstream equipment classification, traction devices are still not classified as joint mobility training equipment. Different hospitals may classify this slightly differently.

Another thing that everyone least expects is the negative pressure drainage device for wounds that is often worn after surgery. Many patients after surgery use a CPM machine (continuous passive motion machine) to practice joints while hanging a drainage bottle, thinking that the two are the same set and are used for training. Hi, that drainage bottle is purely used to absorb exudate and accumulated blood in wounds. It has nothing to do with joint movement. It is just often used together with training equipment.

When I was adjusting the CPM machine for postoperative patients, I made a joke. When I first entered the department, I couldn't tell the difference between the brace and the fixed straps of the CPM machine. I took the straps of the brace to the patient and tied them to the CPM machine. The nurse who was in charge of the equipment laughed for a whole week and said that I couldn't even distinguish between "moving" and "quiet."

As for heavy free weight equipment, such as heavy barbells in the gym and professional squat racks, they are not considered joint mobility training equipment. Their core function is to add weight to muscles to build muscle strength. If you use heavy weight to practice joint mobility, it is purely looking for injuries. In our rehabilitation department, the dumbbells we use for patients to practice range of motion are only 1kg or 2kg at most. They are actually borrowing weight to do passive stretching. The core is still stretching, not muscle strength training. Therefore, small dumbbells with extremely light weights are occasionally used to assist, but large equipment that is purely weight-bearing certainly does not count.

In fact, the distinction is not that complicated. You can clearly understand the core goal of joint mobility training: to try to open the range of motion of the joints and loosen the adhesion bands under the premise of safety. As long as it is aimed at this goal, can guide the movement trajectory and provide auxiliary power, it basically belongs to this type of equipment. ； If it is used for fixation, pulling bones into alignment, absorbing fluid, or adding weight to muscles, it most likely does not count. If you are really not sure, just ask the rehabilitation practitioner around you. Don’t just categorize and use them on your own. If something goes wrong during practice, the gain will outweigh the loss.