As a sports person, keeping your body healthy is necessary. For better performance, sportspeople often go for joint mobilization. This therapy helps in improving the body motion like lifting the arm, being the spine etc. This is a pain-reducing therapy often used for patients with joint stiffness. However, many sportspeople go for joint mobilization regularly for enhancing physical strength.
Joint Mobilization
Joint mobilization is a therapy using skilled graded forces for moving the joint in the desired direction. This is not similar to stretching as the mobilization is very specific to the joint capsule. This joint gliding therapy improves motion and your joints start functioning well. This therapy has very good results for controlling pain. Using joint mobilization, you can improve any joint which is lacking mobility. Common parts for using this sports therapy are the middle and lower back, neck, and sacroiliac joints. Sportspeople use this therapy mainly for the shoulder, ankle, foot, arm, wrist, hip, and hand.
Why is joint mobilization good for joint recovery?
There are several physical therapis available for sports. But joint mobilization has better results if you are searching for a fast recovery of a particular joint. If the mobility of your joint gets limited then the function and structure of the region will change. Due to this, the nutrients within the joint will decrease and other joints of the body start working fast to compensate for the stiff joint. Your adjacent joints will also start working poorly due to overuse. All the muscles which are surrounding your stiff joint will become stiff and then they can’t relax and contract correctly. If you won’t enhance the motion of your joint, the whole part will start working on it and get a deep stretch. Once the joint gets mobilized, you will feel a pop. Some people get anxiety due to this but it shows that the joint has started working correctly.
Merits of using Joints mobilization in sports therapy
Improves range of motion
Every joint has a range of motion. But as a sportsperson, you need a better motion of the joints for performing well. You can enhance the motion with certain exercises. As a sportsman, you can’t do exercises without a professional trainer. If you do exercises incorrectly then your joint motion may get worse. Exercises also take more time than therapy. The mobilization therapist knows how to improve the range of the joint. Adopting this therapy will help to increase joint mobility in less time.
Reduces pain
While playing, if your joint gets hurt then using joint mobilization therapy will reduce the pain. If you get hit by something then it can be very painful. To minimize the pain, mobilization can help a lot. It not only provides relief but also helps in fast recovery. For a sports person, it’s necessary to keep his whole body in good shape. You can’t perform well if the joints are not moving correctly. When you go for this sports therapy, the joints and muscles will start improving.
Improves body balancing
If you are into sports like weightlifting then body balancing becomes a necessity. Lifting heavy weights can stretch the muscles and joints. Your body needs good strength for lifting those barbells. After regular practising, your joints get used to it. The problem appears when you move to a higher weight category. You eat a lot to increase your weight. Once you earn the weight, you start lifting more weight. But your joints are not familiar with the new weight. While lifting, the joints can’t handle it and the body won’t balance correctly. For improving joint functioning; trainers often suggest joint mobilization.
Helps to perform better after a break
This therapy works best when you restart your physical activities. People often took breaks for months or years due to personal issues or any injury. Resuming physical activities after a long break is not simple at all. To perform better, the body and brain must work together. When you stop practising, the muscle gets stiff. The joint motion may reduce less than a normal person. Your body has a habit of daily practice. When you don’t practice, the muscles start contracting. After the break, when you start practice, your body doesn’t hear your mind. In your brain, your body can perform well as you have done this a hundred times. But due to muscle stiffness, you can’t perform up to the level. Due to this, the muscles get swollen and the body aches a lot. Along with the body pain, your self-esteem is also lost. To maintain self-esteem and improve muscle functioning joint mobilization therapy is helpful. After practising, when you go for therapy; it eases the pain. Less pain means you can resume practice tomorrow. Your therapist will consult you on several things for improvement and also help you to understand the body condition. It’s necessary to have an expert who can tell you that the body pain and performance is normal. After a few weeks or months, your body will start working correctly and you can see better growth in the performance.
Is Joint Mobilization therapy for everyone?
Any person who is dealing with joint stiffness can go for this therapy. You will feel improvement on the very first day of mobilization therapy. If you feel stiffness in the body due to any reason like overworking, or hiking etc; check for this therapy. People often feel pain if they are doing any physical work like hiking mountains, playing tennis etc after a long break. When you are not doing any physical work, the muscles get stiff. Now when you use the body, joints and muscles start aching. If you feel pain even after 2-3 days of resting, seek the therapist. The mobilized therapy will reduce the pain and help the muscles to work properly. The swelling will reduce and you can resume your daily activities. But you shouldn’t use this therapy for fused joints or excessive flexible joints. If the joints are hurting a lot then see the doctor instantly. Get the CT scan to get the correct information of body condition for therapy or medication.
