Getting Footy

Hi all, hope the first week of the new rotation is going well for you all.

Currently doing Neuro OP where some of you folks have been and my brain seems to be still on Cardio. Guess it is slowly adjusting to think Neuro now.

Don't know why, but I have been doing lots of foot mobilizations lately on most of my patients and it has become a routine with them as such. They actually tell you they need foot mobs and don't feel right if they stand/walk without doing it. Its really kind of mundane mobbing feet you know, till the point I felt erm... a little bored.

But I guess that are always good and sound reasons why we do certain techniques and decided to delve deeper into the purpose of foot mobs to motivate myself to do them.

Got this off a website(Foot and Leg Centre) that gives a comprehensive list of why we do foot mobs:

"History:

Foot Mobilisation has its roots in manipulative therapy, which is a long established technique widely used by the physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathic professions. The first foot and ankle manipulative techniques were developed in the 1920s by American Dr John Martin Hiss, a student of manipulative therapy.

Purpose:

The primary purpose of FMT is to improve mobility of a hypomobile joint due to connective tissue adaptation caused by immobilisation or dysfunction as supported by Mennell (1964) and Michaud (1993).

Other purposes have been given for the role of FMT including dysfunctional neurological feedback (Charrette 2000, 2002). The neurology of mechanoreceptors and their role in proprioception and pain suppression is comprehensively described in the literature (Wyke 1985, Slosberg 1988, Maitland 1991, Michaud 1993, Logan 1995).

FMT will gently & painlessly restore joint mobility, flexibility & fluidity. When combined with corrective exercises, FMT will stretch, strengthen & stabilise the body’s foundation.

Physiology:

Woo et al (1975) demonstrates that joint hypomobility results from collagen cross-linkages which occur in response to immobilisation or disuse. The biomechanical and biochemical physiological effects of connective tissue to immobilisation are well described in the literature. Factors such as intra-articular adhesions, contracture of the joint capsule, or muscle shortening are also responsible for gross joint stiffness (Binkles & Peat, Woo et al.). Akeson (1980) documented that a sequel to joint immobilisation is joint stiffness.

So (1986) argues that manipulative procedures play a major part in regaining the range of movement or function of the joint. Exercises help to maintain the range of movement gained from mobilisation. ‘The importance of passive mobilisation and manipulation lies in the restoration of gross movements and accessory movements, which cannot be gained by patients through exercises alone, and certainly not by rest.’"

Guess a building always needs a strong foundation/base before we can do anything to it.

Will do foot mobs with this in mind.