Encourage the immobile patient to participate as fully as possible so that he feels involved in the process.

Always explain to the patient what you are about to do and enlist his cooperation. To avoid strain, remember to maintain your own proper body mechanics as you carry out the exercises for the patient.

The overall nursing goal is to promote the maximum degree of mobility for the patient who cannot engage in the normal activities of daily living and prevent or reduce the effects of immobility. Performing range of motion exercises can often save the patient a lengthy rehabilitation.