Soft Tissue vs. Joint mobility Restrictions

When thinking of how mobility (range of motion) is restricted, a simple way to view it is either a soft tissue or joint restriction (it can be a combination of both as well).

In terms of soft tissue, it’s important to assess if the soft tissue (muscle, tendon, fascia, etc.) has the capacity to length and shorten appropriately.

In terms of a joint, a lot of joints have a capsule around it and that can be restricted impacting the joint mechanics.

Soft tissue restrictions impact joint mechanics and vice versa joint mobility restrictions impact the function of soft tissue, especially a muscles ability to length and shorten appropriately.

It’s not uncommon that people will present with both types of restrictions which means if you are only stretching, that won’t completely help you restore your mobility to where you would like it.

After a thorough evaluation, we can start to target different areas that are restricting you through a systematic and progressive process with specific movements and loading progressions to help you reach your goals.

It’s time to stop guessing and trying random movements and stretches to address what is going on and get help with a detailed, long term plan to get you back to what’s important to you. Reach out and let’s chat!