The Maitland movement diagram visually represents the interaction between pain, tissue resistance, and muscle spasm during passive motion assessment.
Behavior: Pain onset occurs very early in the range of motion (P1 at 10%) and rises sharply to limit the movement (L) well before reaching normal mechanical tissue resistance.
Recommended Settings: P1 at 10%, P2/L at 45%, Exponential curve. Resistance disabled or minimal.
Behavior: Resistance begins midway through the range (R1 at 50%) and increases significantly up to the anatomical limit (R2 at 100%). Pain is absent or only appears at end-range (P').
Recommended Settings: R1 at 50%, R2/L at 100%. P1 at 80% with low P' intensity.
Behavior: Involuntary reflex reaction (S) triggered as soon as a pain or range threshold is crossed, prematurely blocking passive motion.
Recommended Settings: S1 at 35%, S2/L at 60% with a steep slope.
Clinical Presentation: Pain in the right buttock present at rest (P1 = 3/10 at 0% ROM). Very severe limitation of the right straight leg raise due to pain (P2 = 6/10 at L = 23 cm). No mechanical resistance is felt by the examiner throughout the available range.
Clinical Interpretation: The presence of resting pain (P1 starting at baseline A) combined with a severe, early limitation (L) driven exclusively by pain (P2) without resistance indicates high tissue irritability/reactivity. Gentle, pain-free techniques (Grade I-II) are indicated.
Clinical Presentation: No pain at rest (P1 at 53%). Movement is limited primarily by mechanical resistance (R1 at 50% / 50°, increasing to R2 / Grade IV++ at L = 70°). A slight sensation of stretching is felt locally in the hamstrings at the end-range (P' = 2/10).
Clinical Interpretation: This pattern is typical of a dominant mechanical stiffness or hamstring tightness rather than active neural irritability. Higher-grade mobilizations (Grade IV/IV+) into resistance are suitable to stretch restricted tissues.
Clinical Presentation: Structural instability assessment during L4 central PA accessory motion. The total range of movement exceeds the normal average boundary (B) and approaches (H). Early resistance (R1) rises towards R2 at the limit line L, accompanied by late protective spasm (S1 to S') and end-range pain (P1 to P2).
Clinical Interpretation: The extension of the horizontal axis beyond point B towards H reflects hypermobility/instability. The characteristic curve profile with late protective muscle reactivity (S) and pain (P) near the limit L highlights passive laxity compensated by muscular guarding. Dynamic stabilization exercises are indicated over joint mobilization.