Range of movement exercises is a form of physical therapy that is focused on a specific joint or body part with a decreased amount of movement. There are several ways to perform these exercises to experience improved movement in your body parts. These exercises can be assisted by yourself, by another person, an external machine, by gravity, or done within the water. A Toronto physiotherapy clinic can help you assess the situation, diagnose your issue, and then prescribe an effective treatment plan with various range of movement exercises to patients with a range of movement deficits.

Advantages of Range of Movement  Exercises

If you are experiencing reduced movement in a specific joint in your body, here’s how a range of movement exercises can benefit you:

  • Helps you decrease pain in the joints with restricted movement
  • Increases mobility in the joint
  • Enhances the movement of the whole limb
  • Offers better body functionality and movement efficiency
  • Gives more independence and flexibility to your body
  • Maintains joint integrity and strength

Someone who is experiencing a range of movement deficits can really benefit from a range of movement exercises. Your body will be more flexible than before and you can feel healthy and positive in life.

What Does Range of Movement Exercises Include?

Based on your assessment, you will be prescribed a special treatment plan that will include various exercises. These exercises are designed to improve the quality as well as the range of movement. These exercises include:

Range of Movement Exercises within Water: As the name suggests, these exercises take place inside warm water. The warmness from the water helps your tissues to relax and also helps your body enhance the extensibility of the tissues by improving the achievable range.

Gravity-Assisted Range of Movement Exercises: These exercises include movement that comes from the activation of your muscles in a position in which gravity can help you pull the weight of the limb at the end of the available range of the joint.

Passive Range of Movement Exercises: These exercises do not require any muscle activation. In this exercise, another person or another body part helps you complete the full movement of your body.

Auto-assisted Range of Movement Exercises: In these exercises, the muscles of your body complete the full movement within the available range by yourself, and then to achieve a few extra degrees, additional pressure can be applied. 

Who would Benefit from Range of Movement Exercises?

In a nutshell, a lot of people will benefit from the range of movement exercises. These exercises are not only limited to increasing the reduced range of movement but can also offer a variety of benefits for different requirements. They are listed below:

  • Post joint surgery
  • Helping with muscle strain
  • Helping with a ligament sprain
  • Arthritic joints
  • Post joint replacement
  • A foreign object within the joint
  • Pre-surgery
  • Actual injury swelling

Apart from all the reasons mentioned above, a range of movement exercises are also used to improve the flexibility of our body and increase movement. It is also recommended for working professionals and students who sit in front of a computer all day, and also for the elderly as a preventive measure for reduced range of movement.

Disclaimer: The Varsity’s editorial department was not involved.