Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) As a Daily Practice

Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs), a core component of the Functional Range Systems (FRS), are essential for maintaining joint health and improving body control. CARs are precise, active movements that take a joint through its full range of motion, stimulating key sensors like mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors. These receptors play a significant role in how our brain perceives body positioning and movement, making CARs both a physical exercise and a tool for cognitive enhancement in body awareness. However, the key to more significant movement potential lies in one critical component: time. Time spent practicing these movements is essential for the body to adapt and for the nervous system to grant access to new ranges of motion.

Time is a limiting factor for progress. We need to be patient for tissue changes to occur.

The Importance of Daily Practice for Joint Health

Having a daily body practice is fundamental for joint health. As the adage goes, "If you don't use it, you lose it." This holds especially true for joint movement. The entire surface of a joint must be regularly stimulated to maintain the health of cartilage, synovial fluid, and the surrounding soft tissues. When joints aren't moved through their full range, parts of the joint surface can deteriorate from lack of use, leading to stiffness, reduced mobility, and increased risk of injury.

The image shows the part of the hip most used during certain activities. Highlightling the fact being "active" does not mean the entires surface of the joint is being utilized during daily movements.

CARs serve as a proactive method for maintaining mobility. CARs are like hitting the SAVE button when writing a Word document. CARs also help to connect the biology to the neurology surrounding the joint being trained. CARs stimulate the flow of cellular information from the Afferent (information coming in) to the Efferent (information going out, i.e., muscular output). When a person incorporates CARs into a daily routine, individuals gain a better understanding of how their body moves, becoming more attuned to limitations, imbalances, and areas needing attention. This daily practice also aids in improving proprioception—our body's ability to sense its position in space—and overall motor control, both of which are crucial for athletic performance, injury prevention, and functional health.

The health of the capsular tissue and the amount of capsular workspace dictates the fidelity or clarity of the signal. The higher the signal resolution, the better the brain can learn, which leads to improved output.

Stimulation of Mechanoreceptors and Proprioceptors

Controlled articular rotations directly stimulate mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors embedded within the joint capsules and surrounding tissues. Mechanoreceptors respond to changes in pressure, length in tissue (tissue tension), and movement, while proprioceptors provide feedback about joint positioning in space. Consistent, deliberate practice of CARs refines these pathways, essentially "reprogramming" how the brain and body communicate. These receptors help define our body maps. The more precise and defined the maps, the better the brain understands the body's capabilities. Over time, this leads to enhanced control over movement, reduced compensation patterns, and more efficient motor function.

Expanding Movement Boundaries and Driving Adaptation

When performing CARs, the goal is to push the outer limits of joint movement. This practice allows individuals to explore their joint's boundaries, teaching the brain where these limits are while safely driving adaptation. By engaging in this form of active exploration, the cortex, responsible for processing sensory and motor signals, rewires itself to recognize and expand the potential for safe, functional movement. This gradual expansion of perceived and actual space for movement helps with injury prevention, athletic performance, and rehabilitation.

Capsular workspace affects the articular workspace, which involves the global workspace or how we engage with the environment.

Cognitive Rewiring and Rehabilitation

Innovative rehabilitation techniques are now incorporating approaches that address both the physical and cognitive aspects of movement recovery. One such approach is motor imagery, where patients mentally rehearse movements to recalibrate the global workspace of the brain without placing physical stress on healing tissues. CARs serve as a physical counterpart to this process. By moving joints through controlled, deliberate rotations, patients can safely explore their movement boundaries and rewire the brain's understanding of what is safe and functional. This active cognitive engagement helps to restore movement patterns while simultaneously protecting healing tissues.

Over time, we want to push the boundaries of the available workspace. The more we can stimulate the entire surface of the joint, the better we can relearn movement. Additionally, stimulating the joint receptors allows for the maintenance of the joint's health.

Incorporating CARs into daily routines allows for the simultaneous engagement of both mind and body, creating a powerful tool for joint longevity and overall movement health. Whether used as part of rehabilitation or as a proactive measure to maintain joint mobility, CARs offer a simple yet effective way to stimulate healthy tissue adaptation and enhance motor control over time. Combining physical movement and cognitive rewiring makes CARs a valuable practice for anyone looking to improve joint function, body awareness, and overall health.

Why a Daily Practice is important

The daily practice allows for cumulative adaptation. Just as with any skill, the body responds to repetition and consistency. Regularly practicing CARs creates a feedback loop between the brain and the body, improving joint control, range of motion, and motor coordination. This is especially important in modern life, where many people experience joint stiffness and reduced mobility due to prolonged periods of sitting or inactivity. CARs offer a way to counteract these adverse effects, ensuring the joints remain healthy and mobile.

The Role of Time in Changing Movement Patterns

One of the most important aspects of incorporating CARs into a daily routine is recognizing the role of time in making meaningful physical changes. The nervous system acts as a gatekeeper to allow or restrict access to specific ranges of motion. Often, limitations in movement are not due to a lack of flexibility or strength but to neurological tightness. Neurological tension is a protective mechanism designed to prevent injury, and it must be gradually retrained through consistent, deliberate practice.

Spending time in these movements signals to the nervous system that allowing the joint to move further is safe. Whether someone is recovering from an injury, trying to regain lost range of motion, or learning a new movement, time is the essential ingredient. It takes consistent, repeated exposure to a movement or position for the body to "grant" access to that range of motion. Without spending the necessary time, the nervous system will continue to limit movement, creating a feeling of tightness or resistance.

Time as a Factor in Skill Development and Rehabilitation

Time becomes even more critical in rehabilitation or skill acquisition. After an injury, the body often needs to be retrained to move. The retraining involves reestablishing neural pathways and the brain's perception of movement. Similarly, when learning a new skill or recovering lost mobility, the nervous system and connective tissue, not just the muscles, must adapt. The body must spend time in the retraining phase, gradually increasing its capacity for safe and controlled movement.

The retraining process cannot be rushed. Just as muscles need time to adapt to new loads, the nervous system needs time to rewire its understanding of what is safe and possible. CARs, when practiced daily, provide a structured, low-risk way to facilitate this rewiring process, allowing for progressive improvements in joint mobility and motor control over time.

Summary

The importance of time in a daily CARs practice cannot be overstated. While CARs are simple in their execution, the true benefits come from the cumulative effects of consistent, dedicated practice. By regularly engaging in controlled movements, individuals can improve their joint health, expand their movement boundaries, and retrain the nervous system to allow for greater freedom of movement. Time, combined with daily practice, is the key to making these long-term changes.

Patience is essential to improve joint mobility and overall movement, as meaningful change takes time. Many people underestimate the time required to see real progress, often becoming frustrated or giving up before the body can adapt. This is particularly true regarding connective tissue changes, such as improving range of motion, which occur gradually through consistent practice. There is no quick fix or instant gratification in this process—connective tissue adapts slowly, and the nervous system requires repeated exposure to movements to recalibrate its limits. Without spending enough time on these efforts, the desired improvements will remain out of reach.