Therex Lecture 3 Flashcards
What is stretching?
Stretching is a therapeutic maneuver to:
- Increase mobility of soft tissues, and subsequently…
- Improve ROM by lengthening structures that have adaptively shortened and become hypomobile over time
What is dynamic and passive flexibility?
Dynamic flexibility is active mobility, which is affected by tissue resistance during movement
Passive flexibility is passive movement through ROM, affected by extensibility of muscles/connective tissue
Flexibility is dictated by no resistance AND no pain (similar to how Grade 1 mob can turn into Grade 3 in the presence of pain)
What are factors that contribute to restricted motion?
Factors that contribute to restricted motion are:
- extrinsic prolonged immobilization (casts and splits, skeletal traction)
- intrinsic prolonged immobilization (pain, joint inflammation, skin disorders, bony blocks, vascular disorders, muscle, tendon, or fascial disorders)
- sedentary lifestyle and habitual faulty or asymmetrical postures
- paralysis, tonal abnormalities, muscle imabalances
- postural malalignment
What is hypomobility? What can hypomobility lead to? What are factors that contribute to hypomobility?
Hypomobility is decreased flexibility
Hypomobility can lead to contractures
Factors that contribute to hypomobility are:
- shortened muscles (stiffness/tightness - adaptable shortening of muscles over time)
- scar tissues
- lack of strength
- altered proprioception
- immobilization
- spasticity
- motor control
What is hypermobility? What are factors that contribute to hypermobility? What can hypermobility lead to?
Hypermobility is increased flexibility
Factors that contribute to hypermobility are:
- poor motor control
Hypermobility can lead to pain and movement dysfunction
**in some cases, hypermobility can improve function - by using selective stretching, we can promote ROM that may translate to function for that individual
According to the literature, what is stretching considered to do?
According to the literature, stretching is considered to:
- increase flexibility and ROM (strong)
- promote injury prevention (weak)
- promote enhanced performance (weak)
According to the literature, at what point does stretching become effective?
According to the literature:
- short (<30 seconds) and inconsistent bouts of stretching are ineffectual in changing performance and tissue length (however, perceived changes in tolerance happens)
- tissue length changes come from regular >30 second bouts of load (passive or active)
- in tissue affected by chronic contracture, serial casting is recommended and has good outcomes (increase in flexibility due to gradual increase in position of casting)
What is a contracture? What are the effects of contractures?
A contracture is an adaptive shortening of muscle-tendon unit and other soft tissues crossing/surrounding joint
The effects of contractures are:
- resistance to passive or active stretch,
- limitation of ROM
What are the types of contractures?
The types of contractures are:
- myostatic contracture
- pseudomyostatic contracture
- fibrotic contracture
- arthrogenic contracture
What is a myostatic contracture?
Myostatic contractures are when there is loss of ROM, but there is no muscle pathology
What is a pseudomyostatic contracture?
Pseudomyostatic contracture is when there is an ‘apparent contracture’ with resistance to passive stretch from a CNS lesion, muscle spasm, guarding or pain
It is “pseudo” because it seems like musculoskeletal but it is more neuro
– inhibitory techniques can be used to achieve full length
What is a fibrotic contracture?
Fibrotic contracture (irreversible contracture) is a result of prolonged immobilization (casting/bracing)
It is often resistant to change
In fibrotic contractures, the periarticular tissue may be involved, but the pathology involved is due to muscle tissue
Fibrotic contractures may require surgery or sustained stretch over hours (in the form of progressive casting/splinting)
What is arthrogenic contracture and periarticular contracture?
Arthrogenic contracture and periarticular contracture are intra-articular pathologies that result from the joint
They limit joint capsule mobility and normal arthrokinematic motion
An example is arthritis
What are the properties of contractile and non-contractile tissue?
The properties of contractile and non-contractile tissue are:
- contractile tissue is in muscle
- noncontractile tissue is in connective tissue
- noncontractile tissue has viscal elasticity while contractile does not
Both tissue types have:
- elasticity (the ability to return to pre-stretch length after stretch)
- plasticity (increased length of tissue after removal of strength force)
What happens to the contractile elements when the tissue is stretched?
When the tissue is stretched:
- the connective tissue (series elastic component) is stretched
- the actin/myosin filaments slide apart and sarcomeres lengthen
- upon release, resting length is restored (if stretch is brief)
The series elastic component is a non-contractile element that lies in series of muscle tissue (contractile tissue). This can be connective tissue bridges, tendons, muscle membranes, etc