The Stiff Hand
Robyn Midgley pioneered the use of Casting Motion to Mobilise Stiffness (CMMS) for the stiff hand — an evidence-based, cost- and time-efficient path back to movement.
What is a stiff hand?
A stiff hand is not simply rigid tissue — it is a constraint created by the cross-linking of collagen fibres that were once elastic. Left untreated, stiffness produces detrimental structural, neurologic and emotional changes, so therapeutic intervention must be implemented expeditiously to preserve hand function.
Casting Motion to Mobilise Stiffness (CMMS) is a specialist casting technique that treats the stiff hand in a cost- and time-efficient way — redirecting active motion to release joint tightness so movement can be restored, often without multiple treatment sessions.
A real case, in motion
One hand — stiff and immobile after serious injury, through the CMMS casting pathway, back to normal movement at six months. Real footage of what specialist hand therapy achieves.
Why CMMS works
The effects of immobilisation are minimised — the cast redirects active motion rather than holding the hand still.
Healing tissue is never overloaded, and stiff joints are never forcefully or passively mobilised — which can worsen stiffness.
In many cases active motion alone effectively increases the mobility of a stiff joint — the foundation of the CMMS technique.
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