To free a joint blocked by pain, physiotherapist Brian Mulligan suggested that the joint should be kept in the correct alignment while performing the painful movement. The drawer analogy is used to represent the joint, meaning that a drawer doesn't just open and close, but can also be slightly shifted to the left or right, as well as up or down. Sometimes, a drawer caught in a slight shift can stop opening or closing. The goal at the joint level is to find the direction of the shift, then push in the opposite direction to realign the joint while executing the painful movement which should be now pain-free. The Mulligan Concept is the latest update in manual joint therapy, being gentler, more precise, less risky than joint manipulations/adjustments, and it is performed by certified Mulligan practitioners.
