You’ve likely dealt with limited range of motion at some point in your life. It means that a joint or body part cannot move through its normal range of motion, the flexion, or how far it can be bent, and the extension, how far it can be stretched. Your joints are where bones come together, or join. Joints hold the bones together and allow for movement. They are made up of several working parts and can be very complex. So when you experience a limited range of motion, you should contact your health care provider. An abrupt limited range of motion may be due to:

• Dislocation of a joint
• Fracture of an elbow or other joint
• Septic or infected joint (hip is most common in children)
• Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (in boys 4 to 10 years old)
• Nursemaid's elbow, an injury to the elbow joint (in young children)
• Loss of motion may occur if you damage to the bones within a joint. This may happen if you have:
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Broken a joint bone in the past
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Brain, nerve, or muscle disorders can damage the nerves, tendons and muscles, and cause loss of motion. Some of these include:

• Cerebral palsy
• Congenital torticollis
• Muscular dystrophy
• Stroke or brain injury

If you experience difficulty moving or extending a joint, make an appointment at the Idaho Hand Institute. We’ll examine your joint, determine the cause for your limited range of motion and will treat the symptoms with physical therapy, simple exercises, surgery or meds, depending on the root of the problem. With over 40 years of combined specialty experience and service, Dr. Esplin and Dr. Stucki, along with certified Physician Assistant Dale Belnap, deliver accurate and personalized treatment from correct diagnosis to top notch care and treatment for an effective and timely resolve. For more information on limited range of motion and how we treat it, please contact the Idaho Hand Institute at (208) 235-4263 or at any of our four locations: Pocatello, Blackfoot and Soda Springs and our newest location in Idaho Falls (Mountain Falls Quick Care Clinic at 1995 E 17th St #1, Idaho Falls, ID 83404).