Joint Health Toolkit

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create & cultivate


Table of contents 3

Healthy joints

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Create and cultivate

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Understanding joints

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The joint capsule

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Movement is key for optimal joint health

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Brain and joint connection

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Training joint mobility

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What is effective for improving joint health?

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Resources to get started

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HEALTHY JOINTS

are the first step to achieve a healthy musculoskeletal system Healthy joints...

With healthy joints, you will...

Have pain-free, high quality tissues​

Accomplish daily tasks with greater ease​

Have resiliency to recover from exercise and daily tasks​

Enjoy improved physical performance​

Have capacity to absorb forces and heavy loads​

Become more self-aware of function and dysfunction​

Have acquired optimal ranges of motion​

More easily identify the onset of pain and stiffness​ Mitigate potential injury

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Creating and cultivating healthier joints allows us to have less pain, mitigate injury, move better and enhance performance. How do we do this? BY CREATING

BY CULTIVATING

• more WORKSPACE in your joints so that they have greater capacity. • more control in your ranges of motion so that you’re able to better mitigate injury.

• a healthier • • environment, •

you will enjoy...

enhanced enhanced enhanced enhanced

recovery from injury resiliency from exercise neuromuscular function ability to express movement

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Understanding joints It’s all about the SPACE

We all know that joints form where two bones come together​but did you know it’s the SPACE between them that determines how limited our movement will be? If the SPACE is compromised: • Motion becomes limited or dysfunctional • Muscles become overactive or they might develop a lack of control • Joint surfaces come under greater stress • There can be inappropriate stimulation of pain receptors • Joint fluid production is decreased and reduces nourishment to joint tissues

So... what dictates

Movement occurs through the 350+ joints in the body

the space? >>> 5


The health of the JOINT CAPSULE governs the SPACE in the joint. The joint capsule is dynamic and adapts. It responds to every input, stimulus, movement or non-movement that you do. • Forces from movement instruct cells how to rebuild, remodel and reorganize tissues.

JOINT CAPSULE

A cuff of fibrous connective tissue surrounding the joint

Too little movement or too much repetitive movement can result in an unhealthy joint capsule. For example, repetitively throwing a baseball over time can stiffen the joint capsule, compromising the mechanics of the shoulder.

When it is unhealthy, the joint capsule can cause undesired compression of the joint. 6


Prevent joint tissues from acquiring stiffness and fibrosis​

Expand your usable ranges of motion​

Optimize the interaction between your brain and your joints​

For optimal joint health, Stimulate production of joint fluid containing oxygen and essential nutrients​

MOVEMENT IS KEY.

Simply moving your joints more can...

Provide a healthier environment for tissue healing

Provide instructions to cellular DNA for how to repair and remodel tissues

Improve the physical capacity of the whole joint

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Brain and joint CONNECTION Biology indicates that your brain THRIVES with frequent and active inputs from your joints.​ Through controlled articular rotations, which focus on developing healthier joints, you also stimulate specialized nerves called, mechanoreceptors. These communicate with the brain about the health of your joints and provide valuable information about the quality of your movements.

If the brain receives adequate amounts of this valuable information, it will deem your movements as safe and allow you greater access to ranges of motion. In addition, pain levels will decrease and muscular control will increase.

What is the best method for stimulating these nerve receptors and for improving the health of the joint capsule? 8


Training your JOINT MOBILITY

Be intentional

Driving specific adaptations requires attention to the details.​

Intensity matters

The greater the effort, the greater the result.​ It is called “training” for a reason. If you don’t FEEL the effort, no tissue change is occurring.

Take your time

The tissues must have time to perceive tension and direction to know how they should be remodeling and repairing.

Be patient

Altering the quality of your tissue takes months to years.

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What is effective for improving the health of the joint?

• Rotational, pain-free movements performed at the outer limits of your range of motion​ • Exploration of multi-joint movements and positions • Breath awareness and adopting good breathing techniques. Managing stress levels can have a significant impact on your perception of pain. • Adequate hydration

REMINDERS Static stretches are OK, as long as they are held for >2 minutes. If you cannot control a movement, you shouldn’t LOAD it. If you cannot control a movement SLOWLY, don’t perform it quickly. 10


Improve your joint health Get started: All associates: • Follow the MSK Campaign SharePoint site and join the Yammer group • Check out our online mobility routines: Total Body Cars, Assess Your Mobility, Lower Extremity Mobility, Upper Extremity Mobility, Spinal Mobility • Would you like mobility exercises accessible on your mobile device? Click here for more information about MyWellness. • Watch the “Building Better Hips” and “Building Better Shoulders” wellness classes • Listen in to the Joint Health and Fitness vs. Health Goals podcast episodes

KC-based associates: • Participate in a Bulletproof Joints class in the Healthe Fitness Centers • Injured? Schedule an appointment with an Athletic Trainer or Chiropractor by logging into HealtheatCerner.com • Schedule a Motion Capture by logging into HealtheatCerner.com

How are you improving joint health? SHARE IT WITH US! #MSK2019 #M otion H ealth #Mobility #JointHealth @healtheatcerner

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