Joint mobilisation is a technique used to increase the range of motion of a joint or group of joints. This type of technique is often used after joint sprains (like rolling your ankle or jarring your hip/knee) where the resultant injury and inflammation may restrict the normal movement of the injured joint. In order for the joint to recover fully, the normal range of motion must be restored. A gentle rocking motion is applied to the joint in the direction of the restricted movement until the joint loosens up.
One of the most common application for joint mobilisation is called Maitland mobilisation and is often used on joints where manipulation/adjustments are not appropriate. This type of joint therapy is also used for patients who do not like joint manipulation. There are 4 different grades of mobilisation ranging from very light (Grade 1) to quite firm (Grade 4) depending on the patient’s specific condition and pain levels.
