The Joint-by-Joint Approach

The joint-by-joint approach is a common way of looking at what the human body needs. Originally posed by Mike Boyle and Gray Cook this approach looks at the joints of the human body, and classifies them as needing to be stabilized or needing more movement. In looking at the joints needs they found that it generally alternates between those two options. The ankle needs mobility in order to walk, the knee needs stability for protection, the hip needs a combination of the two yet is more commonly found to be lacking in mobility. This pattern continues into the spine and upper extremity.

The lumbar spine needs to be stabilized with our breathing, the thoracic spine is often too stiff to allow proper movement, and the cervical spine is usually flexible and needs to be stabilized. We do not use these as hard and fast rules but we do consider them in creating a treatment plan.

What really gets interesting is the way a dysfunctional joint can affect the surrounding joints. For example low back pain may result if there is inadequate hip mobility. Limited motion at the ankle may cause knee pain as the knee may become hyper mobile to make up for the lack of the movement in the ankle resulting in further instability. Addressing these relationships between joints allows us to nail down the source of the pain you are experiencing thus correcting the problem once and for all.