08/09/2026
🔗 Your body doesn’t move as separate parts. It moves as a system.
An ankle problem isn’t always just an ankle problem.
A stiff hip doesn’t only affect the hip.
And where you feel pain isn’t necessarily where the whole problem starts.
One useful way of thinking about movement is the joint-by-joint approach, popularised by Gray Cook and Mike Boyle. It suggests different areas tend to have different movement demands:
🟣 Ankle → mobility
🟡 Knee → stability/control
🟠 Hip → mobility
🔵 Lumbar spine → stability/control
🔴 Thoracic spine → mobility
🟢 Cervical spine → stability/control
But there’s an important catch.
This is a framework, not a rulebook.
Every joint needs both movement AND control. The useful part of the model is reminding us to look beyond the painful area.
For example, reduced movement at the hip or ankle may change how neighbouring regions have to move and manage load. This fits with the broader concept of regional interdependence, where problems in one area of the musculoskeletal system can influence another.
That’s why at Move Free, we don’t just ask:
❌ “Where does it hurt?”
We also look at:
✅ How you move
✅ What movements are limited
✅ What you can and can’t control
✅ What activities aggravate your symptoms
✅ What might be contributing above or below the painful area
Treat the person and their movement, not just the painful body part.
📍 Move Free Chiropractic Pontypool
💬 Message us or book online if pain or stiffness is stopping you moving the way you want.
Reference: Sueki DG, Cleland JA, Wainner RS. A regional interdependence model of musculoskeletal dysfunction: research, mechanisms, and clinical implications. J Man Manip Ther. 2013;21(2):90–102.
Read the paper on PubMed
