UPPER EXTREMITY DIAGONAL PATTERNS

NOTE: All descriptions for hand placements are for the patient’s right (R) upper extremity. During each pattern tell the patient to watch the moving hand. Be sure that rotation shifts gradually from internal to external rotation (or vice versa) throughout the range. By mid-range, the arm should be in neutral rotation. Manual […]

I NTRODUCTION

Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) is an approach to therapeutic exercise that combines functionally based diagonal patterns of movement with techniques of neuromuscular facilitation to evoke motor responses and improve neuromuscular control and function. This widely used approach to exercise was developed during the 1940s and 1950s by the pioneering work of Kabat, Knott, […]

The three elements of muscle performance strength, power, and endurance can be enhanced by some form of resistance exercise. To what extent each of these elements is altered by exercise depends on how the principles of resistance training are applied and how factors such as the intensity, frequency, and duration of exercise are manipulated. Because […]

Understanding the relationships among pathology, impairments, functional limitations, and perceived disability is fundamental to the prevention or reduction of disability. The presence of functional limitations may or may not lead to loss of independence and result in disability. Take, for example, a relatively inactive person with long-standing osteoarthritis of the knees. The inability to get […]

Impairments are the consequences of pathological conditions; that is, they are the signs and symptoms that reflect abnormalities at the body system, organ, or tissue level. Impairments can be categorized as arising from anatomical, physiological, or psychological alterations as well as losses or abnormalities of structure or function of a body […]

Therapeutic exercise procedures embody a wide variety of activities, actions, and techniques. The techniques selected for an individualized therapeutic exercise program are based on a therapist’s determination of the underlying cause or causes of a patient’s impairments, functional limitations, or disability.The types of therapeutic exercise interventions presented here are listed below. Additional […]

The ability to function independently at home, in the workplace, within the community, or during leisure and recreational activities is contingent upon physical as well as psychological and social function. The multidimensional aspects of physical function encompass the diverse yet interrelated areas of performance
Balance. The ability to align body segments against […]