Sometimes our therapy patients are “floppy”—they have notably decreased muscle tone and postural strength. Working with them can be challenging because they struggle to simply maintain a healthy posture. Other patients present the opposite challenge—they struggle with stiffness, which makes it difficult to coordinate body movements, especially with speed.
Many of the motions we perform with our bodies as we move about our day involve swinging or pendulum movements. As flexibility decreases, so do swinging movements, which can lead to a reduction in independence and quality of life. Maintaining joint flexibility can help preserve your ability to freely move in the world.
