Elbow Mobilization (Self-administered)

Elbow Mobilization (Self-administered) is a safe and effective technique to improve joint mobility and flexibility. Self-mobilization involves the use of a tool such as a foam roller, theracane, or band to perform specific massage and stretching techniques around the elbow joint. This practice helps to release muscle spasms and improve range of motion and flexibility, ultimately relieving pain and discomfort. By utilizing consistent stretching and massage, this self-administered technique can improve postural

Self-administered Joint Mobilizations: Upper Extremity

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This is Brent of the Brookbush

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Institute at the Independent Training

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Spot, and in this video we're doing self-administered elbow mobilization. So

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we've already discussed how there is more to postural dysfunction than just

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muscles. We have to look at joints and how joints move, there are arthrokinematics.

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Before we look at which mobilizations we're going to do for the

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elbow, we need a model for what dysfunction of the elbow looks like. So what

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I see with my patients and clients is what comes down to a tracking issue. So

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this tracking issue involves increased valgus, all right so increase lateral

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deviation of the ulna, increased compression within the joint space

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itself, and insufficient glide to go along with extension. It's basically a

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tracking issue. It may be due to the over activity in the extensor mass, or over

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activity of the elbow flexors. Or it may be causing the over activity in the

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extensor mass and elbow flexors. Needless to say, we have to start affecting the

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elbow joint if we want to correct this problem. What we're going to need to do

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is if we have too much compression and insufficient glide, I'm going to need a

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distraction technique, and if I have too much valgus, I'm going to need to find a

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way to push into varus. So I'm going to bring my friend Mike out here. Mike is

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going to help us demonstrate how we're going to create this force while going

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through elbow extension, to help mobilize the elbow. Now first things first, we're

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going to get into kind of a quadruped type position. I find that these closed chain

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positions with the fists on the floor, and his whole bodyweight over his

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body, makes sure that the the distraction force we create doesn't just get turned

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into an osteokinematic motion like extension, and actually create some

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arthrokinematic motion. Now you'll notice that he's on a soft surface,

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that's actually really important for this mobilization. Not just for the

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comfort of his fists, but even if these pads weren't here, use an errant pad

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or something, because I want something that's he's going to kind of sink

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into so that he has a little bit more friction right, so his fist doesn't move

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around much. The other thing you'll notice is I have

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them in neutral position, this is going to cross the radius over the ulna. So

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we're going to get kind of a gross effect on the ulna itself, or on the

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whole forearm mass so to speak. This is not a radioulnar or radiohumeral

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mobilization, it's an ulnohumeral mobilization. You'll notice that I have him

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in a distant position. My hope is that if he closes his fist, that he's going to

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increase activity of his flexors, and help reciprocally inhibit some of the

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over activity in his extensor mass. So the first mobilization we're going to do

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from this position is he's going to take one of these big monster bands, he's

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going to set it up at elbow height, it's going to go just below his elbow, and

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it's going to be an anterior to posterior pull. This is the equivalent of

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distraction for the elbow. I'm trying to increase the joint space between his

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olecranon process and its trochlear, as he pushes himself into extension. So

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I'm gonna have him bring his fist out just a little bit, and what he's

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literally going to do is almost a mini push-up. Yeah you don't have to back up

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or anything, I just want you to kind of sink down let your elbow flex. Alright so

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once again I had him in fisted position so I get his extensor mass tone down, the

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extension of his triceps forcing him through extension probably

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helps inhibit some of the flexor mass that's a little over active, and as he's

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going through extension this force is increasing in his band, pushing his

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olecranon process that way, and opening the space between his olecranon

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on process and trochlear. This is real effective for people who have almost

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that impingement type pain at the elbow, at the end of extension, really good for

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increasing the amount of extension. If somebody is limited in extension you

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guys can go through the same logic that you would for manual mobilization

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techniques. So I can do something really small amplitude right just at the end of

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his range, and you can do almost like little,

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little oscillations, little vibrations. They're just a design range, you can go a

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little larger, then do more of like a grade three large amplitude mobilization,

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or if he had pain of course I'd only have them do this just up to the point

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of pain, just touching that pain, because I don't want to risk increasing

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inflammation, increasing pain, and flaring them up. Now other than this mobilization,

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we also want to decrease that valgus, that increase in lateral motion of the

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ulna. So what Mike's going to do is he's going to actually turn around so he's

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facing the camera, and he's going to create a medial to lateral force,

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actually we get on your other side here, he's going to create a medial to lateral

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force on his ulna, and hopefully you guys can kind of see how if he was like this

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now, that's going to push them like this. You have to watch to make sure that they

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don't go elbow out on you and don't internally rotate at the humerus. Alright

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So get those fists nice and solid, and then he's going to do the same thing.

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Alright so I'm just a little bit of flexion, a little bit of extension, this

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is Mike's end range, so i can make the decision whether i want him to stay

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really close to his end range extension and just kind of oscillate, or go through

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larger amplitude motions, and of course once again if he was in pain i would

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just have him, like let's say he was missing the last 25 degrees of extension

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because of pain, some sort of impingement, some pinching right, i would have

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him get down to maybe like 45 degrees, so down here, and then i would have them

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come right up to like let's say there where he started feeling pain, good.

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Just stay right there for me Mike, good, and go up and down for me good.

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As far as repetitions, you guys could set a timer to this 30 seconds to a

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minute, or you could set maybe 20 reps if somebody's doing a nice slow tempo. And

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then of course what I would do after that is retest Mike. Alright Mike go

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ahead and pull this off, go ahead and flex for me, good extend, how do you feel,

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good. Alright he feels better, I know I'm on the right track. If he feels worse

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with all of these mobilization techniques guys, be very careful, you

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don't want to flare somebody up. So if he felt worse obviously i wouldn't try this

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technique again. Mike thank you so much for helping me out with this technique. I

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hope you guys really enjoy this video, and I hope you get a lot of results from

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this particular technique.

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Elbow Mobilization (Self-administered)

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Elbow Mobilization (Self-administered)

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