{"id":10073,"date":"2023-12-04T06:00:17","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T12:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/summit-education.com\/blog\/?p=10073"},"modified":"2024-06-14T13:26:07","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T19:26:07","slug":"improving-strength-and-mobility-with-healthy-stability-a-case-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogcontent.summit-education.com\/blog\/general\/improving-strength-and-mobility-with-healthy-stability-a-case-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Strength and Mobility with Healthy Stability: A Case Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Written By: Lori Duncan, DPT, MTC, CPT<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\"\"<\/a>As therapists, we are always trying to optimize our patient\u2019s function and independence. This requires a combination of strength, mobility, and stability. So where do we start?<\/p>\n

Over the years, I have found that stability is often missed, skipped, or devalued in a patient\u2019s rehabilitation program; however, the first 6-8 weeks of muscle gain is a chit-chat between the muscle and brain. This is neuromuscular recruitment (i.e. stability or motor control) not a change in muscle fiber size. In general, poor stability results in poor symptom resolution, and decreased strength and function. This is a schematic I use (I draw this for my patients) to show them the relationship of mobility, stability, and strength. Notice that strength is below, or after<\/em>, mobility and stability. Yet so many rehabilitation programs begin with strength.<\/p>\n

Here is a case report of a patient I am currently treating to illustrate the importance of the stability link to optimize our patient outcomes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Clinical Notes:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

September 2023: <\/strong>A 47-year-old man presented with significant right quadriceps atrophy after experiencing rhabdomyolysis from a compression injury in July 2023. He had been in rehab for 4+ weeks prior to our meeting but was still experiencing significant knee pain, functional weakness with stairs, and right quad a trophy. <\/span><\/h4>\n

For review, rhabdomyolysis is when damaged muscle releases muscle cell contents (i.e. Myoglobin, creatine kinase, etc.) into the blood. This release of cell contents can then cause a host of different organ damage. Luckily, this patient was treated quickly enough and only had resultant muscle atrophy.<\/span><\/h4>\n

His program from August-September 2023 <\/strong>(prior to coming to my clinic)<\/em>:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
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  • Lunges, squats, bridging, and walking on the treadmill<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Lunges, squats, and bridging are FABULOUS exercises, but they are very strength-based. For a patient dealing with such significant quad atrophy, this was simply too much on the system and he was loading his knee joint. Watch the progression we used to resolve his knee pain and develop his quadriceps muscle. It’s not strength-based movements at first.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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