Do you brush your teeth every day?… why not brush your joints?
Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) promote joint hygiene and longevity. CARs are defined as ‘active, rotational movements at the outer limits of articular motion’.’ These movements help to maintain joint health, identify movement limitations and can also act as a ‘warm-up’ for the neuromechanical interplay that is joint movement. An element of the Functional Range Conditioning system developed by Dr. Andreo Spina, CARs help to:
We have all been told we need to move more, we do. Is 30-60 minutes of physical activity enough to counteract the hours and hours of sitting or poor movement quality most of us subject our bodies to every day? Probably not. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Or perhaps more accurately, if you don’t move it, you lose it. The body adapts to the demands placed against it. We are born with a huge amount of movement capability, but do we still have it? Watch a toddler sit in a deep squat, reach, twist, rotate effortlessly. Now think of your ability to perform those same movements. Where did that range of motion go? The body eliminates any unused ranges of motion. This occurs over time and due to tissue remodelling. Perhaps we need to start taking the time to make up for poor or absent movement patterns. Signaling (information to the brain) with physical input (movement) guides tissue remodelling, and repeated physical input signals can help us regain lost range of motion.
So how do you get the most benefit out of the shortest window? CARs can be completed in as little as 15 minutes (for the whole body) and ensure maximum movement potential, keeping your joints and tissues happy and healthy.You can complete a routine every morning, before or after exercise, or on your lunch break. It will give your joints the input they so desperately need.
Consistency is paramount to regaining and keeping mobility and therefore function.
CARs are a simple way to move your joints to promote optimal ranges of motion and greater articular function. By maximally stimulating the joint capsule, we improve neural control of motion. And what do we mean by control? How well can you get a joint to do what you ask it to, without input from surrounding joints. Controlled Articular Rotations ensure maximal tissue elongation at each joint, preventing build-up of fibrotic tissue, and ensure your joints receive sufficient nutrients from the blood, and your cartilage maintains its composure and its integrity.
The importance of moving and training well is becoming more and more obvious. Damage from too much mechanical stress to a joint is a primary contributing factor to joint degeneration (osteoarthritis). Instead of stepping under the squat bar, going for the next set of burpees, or pounding the pavement for another 10km why not take a little time out of your day to ensure optimal health and hygiene of your joints. There is nothing wrong with any of the aforementioned exercises, but it’s important to find a balance. Counteract these stressors with healthy, nourishing movements. Learn to move and train in a way that promotes longevity rather than degeneration. Your 90 year old self will thank you for it!
For assessment and advice on the correct forms of exercise for you, contact us for a physiotherapy assessment and treatment plan today! Our Cairns city physio clinic has a specialised Rehab Room and caring, holistic physiotherapists! 07 42319777 , use the book online button on the website or email admin@wellnessembodiedcairns.com
