The body is formed with a variety of joints allowing bone-on-bone movement. The amount of this movement is range of motion. Range of motion differs within each joint and is dependent on the structure of the joint itself, the soft tissue surrounding the joint and other potential factors such as injury or lack of use.
Neck
The ability to move the neck fully through several ranges, flexion, extension, rotation and lateral bending is vital for a full scope of vision and to help maintain adequate balance. Full neck flexion should allow you to touch your chin to your chest, and if measured should fall between 40 degrees to 60 degrees. When doing extensions, you should be able to tilt your head back and look at the ceiling. This measurement should be within the 45-degree to 70-degree range. Rotation is turning your head from side to side. Your chin should be almost in line with your shoulder in each direction and measure 60 degrees to 80 degrees. A normal range for lateral bending is 45 degrees. This is halfway between your shoulder and your ear.
Shoulder
The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that allows for a great amount of movement. You can move the shoulder into abduction or away from the body; adduction, which is toward the body; forward for flexion; and backward for extension. You can also internally and externally rotate, which means to twist the arm inward and outward. Moving the arm into abduction or away from the body, facing the palm outward, thumb pointing behind you, should enable the arm to be brought up parallel to the ear. A normal measurement is 180 degrees. Movement across the body is adduction. This motion should be 45 degrees when completed. Move the arm into flexion, which is forward and upward, reaching above your head. The combination of the glenohumeral joint--which is that actual ball-and-socket joint--with the scapulothoracic movement--which is the shoulder blade--allows for 180 degrees of normal flexion. Reaching backward into extension, you can reach 45 degrees if you have no restrictions. Internal rotation for daily functional range can be determined in combination with adduction with the following test. Reaching behind your back from underneath, you should be able to touch the opposite shoulder blade. To check functional external range in conjunction with abduction of motion, switch directions and reach from over your head and across, again to the opposite shoulder blade. The normal measurement for internal rotation, twisting inward, is 55 degrees. The normal range for external rotation, twisting outward, is 40 degrees to 45 degrees.
Elbow, Wrist and Hand
Your elbow bends into flexion and straightens to extension. It works in combination with the wrist to allow the movement of pronation and supination, which is the rotation of the palm upward and downward. These movements are normally 90 degrees each. The wrist also has the specific motion of extension and flexion as well as deviation motions, radial toward the thumb and ulnar toward the little finger. The full or normal motion of elbow flexion is 150 degrees. Wrist flexion should be 80 degrees; extension should be 70 degrees. Multiple joints in the hand work together to create grip and function.
Back
Back motion. or the lack of it, can affect every other aspect of your body. The back and hips create the trunk or base, from which all movements originate. The ability to bend over and put on your socks or pick up objects from the floor are good functional indicators for your back. The actual measurement of specific range of motion is difficult unless trained; it involves a variety of segmental spinal movement. An optimal range for flexion would be being able to touch your toes with your legs straight. You should be able to comfortably bend backward, creating a small arch. To check side bending motion, slide your hand toward the floor down your leg and see how far you can reach. You should be able to reach an equal distance on the opposite side. You should also be able to twist the upper back about 45 degrees in each direction.
Hip
Other than flexion or bending forward--which is 120 degrees--hip motion is minimal. However, restriction here is potentially very harmful; the hips serve as a base for the spine. Hip extension is reaching behind you with your leg, and the normal range is 35 degrees. Abduction or moving away from the body is 45 degrees to 50 degrees and adduction, which is moving the leg across the body, is 20 degrees to 30 degrees. Internal rotation, or twisting inward, is 35 degrees. External rotation, or twisting outward, is 45 degrees.
Knee
Your knee is a hinge joint that allows for the primary movements of flexion, which is bending, and extension, which is straightening. A good indicator of functional knee flexion is the ability to kneel and then sit back on your lower legs comfortably. Flexion should be a measurement of135 degrees, while extension is 0 degrees. Internal rotation (twisting inward) and external rotation (twisting outward) are very small movements, with10 degrees each.
Foot and Ankle
The foot and ankle are extremely important. Many issues start from the bottom and work up the chain. Your ankle provides the movements of plantar and dorsiflexion, pointing and pulling toes back. These measurements are 50 degrees and 20 degrees, respectively. Your foot is responsible for inversion, which is movement to the inside, and eversion, which is movement to the outside. These movements are 5 degrees each way. Abduction is moving the toes to the outside, which is a 10-degree motion, and adduction--moving the toes to the inside--has a range of 20 degrees. These motions are usually referred to in combination. Inversion and adduction is commonly called supination. Eversion and abduction are called pronation.
