Foundations Of Chiropractic (FOC) Exam 2 Practice

When a joint becomes fixated and loses normal motion, the body’s response is to protect the joint, but immobilization fosters a degenerative trajectory rather than regeneration. The restricted movement and altered loading lead to pain from irritation of joint structures and surrounding nociceptors, and the nervous system often drives reflex muscle guarding, producing myospasms in the surrounding muscles. Over time, the lack of normal joint motion and continued abnormal stresses promote degenerative joint changes, such as cartilage wear, cartilage thinning, and subchondral bone changes. Regenerative changes, meaning true tissue regeneration and repair, are not typically produced by joint fixation. Immobilization tends to hinder healing and regeneration and instead accelerates degenerative remodeling, so regenerative changes do not fit as a consequence of a fixated joint.