Joint Protection | Sari Hands Scottsdale Arizona

Facilitating Health and Wholeness

Principles of Joint Protection

The main goals of joint protection are to improve the client's ability to perform daily activities, prevent loss of function and facilitate successful adaptation to activities and schedules.*
The following principles are important in achieving these goals:**

Respect pain
Maintain muscle strength and joint range of motion
Use each joint in its most stable anatomic or functional plane
Avoid positions of deformity or forces in the direction of deformity
Use the strongest, largest joints available for the job
Ensure correct patterns of movement
Avoid staying in one position for long periods of time
Avoid activities that cannot be stopped immediately
Balance rest and activity
Reduce the force used in activities

* Feinberg & Trombly 1995, Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction; Melvin, 1989, Rheumatic Disease in the Adult and Child
** Cordery & Rocchi, 1998, Rheumatologic Rehabilitation: Assessment and Management; Melvin 1989, Rheumatic Disease in the Adult and Child.
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Sari Lewis • Phone 480–206-6592 • Email Sari
14362 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. • Suite 1000 • Scottsdale, AZ 85260
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