【Learning Points】
  1. Principles of joint movement: After relaxing with hot compress, do progressive movement from the proximal end to the distal joint, do not force it; perform it regularly every day.
  2. Encourage him to move to his full range of motion on his own, and perform passive joint motions for joints where he cannot move (such as hands or feet after a stroke or spinal cord injury).
 
Have you ever been in bed for two or three days and then felt stiffness in your joints when you got out of bed? The joints of the body are like the wheels of a bicycle, if they are not moved for a while, they will rust and become difficult to move. Although a bedridden family member may not be able to get out of bed and walk anymore, keeping his joints moving will not only make him feel comfortable, but will also make it easier for us to take care of him!
Encourage and supervise the patient to move some joints to their maximum range of motion on a daily basis when they are still mobile. For those joints that cannot be moved, perform joint exercises twice a day for 10 minutes each time.
 
I.The principle of range of motion (ROM) exercises:
  1. Apply hot towels or pads to the joint before exercise to relax the muscles
  2. From the hands and shoulders to the feet, from the proximal to the distal joints, every joint that can be moved should be done.
  3. Do not bend or straighten the joint to avoid fracture or injury, but gradually increase the angle of movement.
  4. Regular and consistent joint exercises, once in the morning and once in the evening, 3-5 times per day for each joint
  5. Be careful of your posture when helping the patient and do not bend too much to avoid soreness.
 
II.How to do passive movement? Following are some methods and steps:
  1. Upper limb movement(Picture 1-8)
    1. Raise the upper limb
      b94445de417100fb85d6f485cc71bde7.png
    2. forearm flexion
      5c5a0d7bfcd4f8c25c2e3b3df931ecb3.jpg
    3. Straighten the arm and stretch
      b28b66134ab206d3b30375aebe9c7ada.png
    4. Raise hand over the front chest and then bend inward 
      70efb25f2ee33dff5c06467e55fb975f.png
    5. Internal rotation
      3d88d40134953abdcef4bbd48c591eb1.jpg
    6. External Rotation
      cd58d3c7b615550e7cd2f20da1ede0b2.jpg
    7. Pronation:palm down
      85506da2fc7a3bb3e347859a9e0d0b64.png
    8. Supination:palm up
      eedcc9f0803d8b37de297030586e8aa5.png

       
  2. Hand movement(Picture 1-2)
    1. Stretch the palm and finger
      fd1cfb44e44cb1920ffdf5fa26828404.jpg
    2. Wrist and fingers flexion
      e901242f577354e98f511c148008e2f0.png
  3. Leg movement(Picture 1-4
    1. Straight leg raise
      0cca3b4a11f73d63bc9c9c56d5a9c937.png
    2. Bend your knees toward your chest
      1299f6ff8d49097b1d266bb99e528a9b.png
    3. Toes flexion
      d8b349a6cde089263e46a2d19bc8cfde.png
    4. Toes extension
      300a355f1956f1e33b0a0681870ab3f0.png

      (Image source: photo taken by the author)
III.conclusion
It is very important for long-term bedridden patients to perform joint exercises every day. Correct guidance and assistance in joint movements can avoid joint stiffness and muscle contracture. Increase limb joint activities to slow down disability and improve the quality of daily life.
 
IV.References
  1. World Health Organization. (2023).WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour: Updates and implications for immobile patients.
    World Health Organization.https://www.who.int/publications
  2. Kim, S. Y., Park, J. H., & Lee, Y. S. (2024).The effectiveness of passive exercise on joint flexibility and prevention of contractures in immobilized patients.Healthcare, 12(3), 412.https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030412
  3. Garcia, M. A., & Torres, J. (2024).Passive limb exercises in immobilized elderly patients: Nursing implications.Journal of Clinical Nursing, 33(1–2), 210–218.https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16890
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    位置
    資料夾名稱
    English
    上傳者
    黃郁琇
    單位
    中榮護理衛教
    英文名稱
    Passive range of motion exercise about joints for the bedridden patient
    分類
    健康促進
    科別
    英語
    癌症照護
    建立
    2024-01-29 21:12:12
    最近修訂
    2026-04-01 09:58:11
    版本
    2026-04-01
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