Elite Physical Therapy Blog - Shoulder Rehab Part II

Joe Heiler PT, CSCS

In Part I, I discussed how physical therapy of the shoulder using traditional rotator cuff exercises really gets me fired up. Traditional methods of shoulder rehab often train the muscles of the shoulder in a way that they are not really used in normal everyday function. If you haven't caught that article yet, I suggest you read that one first.

In this article I want to address a couple other pieces of the puzzle: motor control and regional interdependence.

There are many cases in which a certain movement may look dysfunctional in a standing position, but may actually be completely functional in other positions where the patient is more unloaded like lying on their back or stomach, side lying, on hands and knees, or even in kneeling. In these positions there are fewer joints and segments to control and in most of these cases less gravity to deal with.

Unless the movement pattern is tested in multiple positions, it is not possible to know with any certainty that the movement is limited because of a true mobility issue (think joint restriction or 'tight' muscle) or if it is because of a lack of motor control.

To continue reading, follow the link over to my blog: http://elitepttc.com/blog/?p=260