Notes on Mobility and Physiological Needs in Nursing

Introduction

  • Movement is essential for health and wellbeing.
  • Impaired mobility threatens physical, mental, and social health.

Overview of Mobility

  • Mobility:
    • The ability to engage in unrestricted movement, vital for daily activities such as walking, lifting, and pushing.
    • Indicator of overall health; affects respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary systems.
    • Benefits: Enhances muscle tone, energy levels, and promotes psychological health, including feelings of independence.

Body Alignment

  • Definition: The position of body parts in relation to each other, crucial for balance.
  • Proper body alignment:
    • Promotes balance and reduces strain/injury.
    • Facilitates respiratory and gastrointestinal function.
    • Characteristics of correct posture:
    • Head upright, face forward, shoulders level, back straight, abdominal muscles tucked, arms at sides, and feet forward.
  • Benefits of Proper Alignment:
    • Comfort, prevention of contractures, promotion of circulation, reduction of stress on joints and muscles, and prevention of foot drop.

Muscle Tone and Strength

  • Muscle Tone:
    • The balance of muscle tension; crucial for quick responses.
  • Common issues:
    • Hypotonicity (flaccidity) and Spasticity (increased tension).
  • Muscle hypertrophy (increase in size from exercise) vs. atrophy (decrease from disuse).

Body Mechanics

  • Definition: Purposeful coordination of body parts during activities.
  • Importance of proper body mechanics for both caregivers and individuals:
    • Reduces risk of strain and injury.

Range of Motion (ROM)

  • Definition: Degree to which a joint can move.
  • Types of ROM exercises:
    • Active ROM: Carried out by the individual independently.
    • Passive ROM: Assisted by a caregiver.

Physiology of Mobility

Musculoskeletal System

  • Components: bones, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, and joints.
  • Functions: Maintains body alignment and supports movement.
  • Types of joints and their mobility characteristics:
    • Diarthroses (freely movable), Amphiarthroses (partly movable), Synarthroses (immovable).

Neurological System

  • Role: Coordinates muscle contraction controlled by the CNS. Proprioception: Awareness of one’s body position and movement.

Physical Activity

  • Definition: Movement of muscles, including exercise, which raises heart rate.
  • Importance of exercise: Reduces joint pain, enhances flexibility, and strengthens bones.

Nursing Checklist for Physical Activity Benefits

  • Lowers risk of:
    • Early death, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, various cancers, osteoporosis.
  • Benefits include:
    • Improved quality of life, weight maintenance, enhanced mood, and stronger immunity.

Factors Affecting Mobility

  • Health status, developmental stage, environment, attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyle factors.

Physiological Effects of Mobility and Immobility

  • Impact of immobility on various body systems, which can lead to complications such as:
    • Neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and psychological effects.

Assessment of Mobility

  • Health history and physical examination to determine mobility status.
  • Factors explore include body alignment, ROM, strength, endurance, and any pain or discomfort.

Nursing Planning and Interventions

  • Goals include restoring independence in ADLs and enhancing mobility.
  • Interventions include ROM exercises, transferring individuals, and implementing mobility aids.

Evaluation

  • Maintaining a balance between independence and dependence is essential for self-esteem.
  • Support from family and caregivers improves mobility recovery and confidence.