Passive range of motion is when a therapist or other assistant moves a patient's joint through the range of motion to stretch the muscles without the patient engaging any muscles or exerting any effort. Passive range of motion exercises are used when a person is bedridden or cannot do the range of motion himself due to injury. Range of motion exercises are important for keeping joint lubrication and to encourage blood flow to surrounding soft tissues.
Neck
Passive range of motion for the neck involves the practitioner bringing the patient's chin to the chest for flexion, and bringing the head back for extension. The ear touches each shoulder for lateral flexion.
Shoulder
Taking the shoulder through passive range of motion exercises involves many steps because the shoulder has more range of motion than any other joint in the body. With the patient standing and elbow straight with the arm by the side, the arm goes up as close to the ear as possible for flexion. From the same starting position, the arm goes back for extension. With the arm by the side, it moves straight out from the body for abduction and back in for adduction. With the elbow bent, the arm is raised to shoulder height and moved toward the opposite shoulder for horizontal adduction. From the same starting position, the elbow moves back for horizontal abduction. With the arm and elbow both at 90-degree angles, the hand moves toward the floor for internal rotation and the opposite way for external rotation. The patient bends slightly forward with the arm straight and dangling in and the practitioner makes a movement like a pendulum in both directions for rotation.
Elbow
Passive range of motion for the elbow involves starting with a straight arm and bending the elbow for flexion and then straightening it for extension. With the arm straight, the elbow pronates when it is turned so the back on the hand moves medially, and supinates when that motion is reversed.
Wrist
Passive range of motion for the wrist includes bending the wrist, so the fingers move toward the front of the patient's forearm for flexion and the opposite way for extension. Adduction is rolling the wrist toward the body and abduction is rolling it away from the body.
Knee
Passive range of motion for the knee is simple in that the knee flexes and extends only. The practitioner bends the patient's knee bringing the heel toward the buttocks for flexion, and straightens the leg for extension.
Tips
These examples illustrate passive range of motion exercises for some, but not all, of the joints in the body. Every joint can be put through passive range of motion exercises.
