Passive range of motion exercises need two people to do. The assistant or caregiver moves another person's joints through range of motion exercises. The person being stretched may need assistance for reasons such as surgery or diseases such as ALS, but anyone can benefit from passive range of motion exercises, because the body stretches more easily when it is relaxed. The most common joints in passive range of motion exercises include the shoulders, elbows, hips and ankles.
Hip Flexion
A passive range of motion exercise for the hip that you can do as a caregiver involves laying your patient on the ground and stretching their hamstring. This exercise straightens the knee to its range of motion and then lifts the leg to flex the hip. The ankle relaxes. To perform this exercise, stand at the feet of your patient with the person lying face up on a bed, mat or table. Ask her to straighten both legs. Grab her left ankle with your left hand as you stand on the left side of her body. Grab the top of her left thigh above the knee with your right hand. Raise her leg toward the ceiling and stop if her right leg lifts. Only lift as far as you can without hurting the patient or making her lift her right leg. Repeat with the right leg.
Ankle Flexion
An exercise that flexes the ankle through its range of motion is easily done by pulling the patient's toes toward his shin. This is called ankle flexion or dorsiflexion. To do this exercise, cup your left hand under the left ankle of your patient and press your forearm into the bottom of his foot. Place your right hand on his shin to hold the leg in place. Then, slowly push against the bottom of the foot to move the toes toward the shin. Repeat on the right.
Elbow Flexion
Elbow flexion bends the elbow so the distance between the forearm and biceps gets smaller. To perform elbow flexion on a patient, have the patient lie on her back with her arms straight at her sides. Stand on the left side of her body and grasp her wrist with your left hand and her arm above the elbow with your right hand. Then, bend her elbow and bring the wrist toward the shoulder. Return the arm to the side. Repeat on the right.
Shoulder Flexion
Shoulder flexion as an exercise begins in the same position as the elbow flexion. To do this exercise, stand on the left side of the patient and grasp his wrist with your left and above the elbow with the right. Then, keeping the arm straight, raise the arm up and over the head in an arch. Touch the wrist to the bed if you can. Reverse the movement. Repeat on the right.
References
- MDA Publications: Chapter 9: Exercise Instructions
- "Passive Range of Motion (ROM) Exercises for the Shoulder"; OhioHealth; 2003
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