Active range of motion

Overview

Active range of motion is defined as the degree of movement you can

achieve in a specific joint using only the muscles around that joint. Active
range of motion, also abbreviated as AROM, is the opposite of passive range
of motion (PROM), which involves how much movement you can achieve in a
joint using outside forces. Outside forces can be anything from the assistance
of another person to the assistance of gravity. Active range of motion
exercises are performed with an aim at improving flexibility and involve
moving through a joint as far as possible using only the muscles of that joint
to initiate the movement. Passive range of motion exercise involves moving
through a joint as far as possible using outside forces, again with an aim at
improving flexibility.

Significance

Both active and passive range of motion are useful measures of flexibility.
Active range of motion, however, is a better expression of your normal range
of motion because it is the range of motion you can achieve by yourself.
Thus, it can be more useful in determining your functional flexibility for day-
to-day tasks. Because flexibility tends to decline with age, active range of
motion exercise is a good method of maintaining normal flexibility throughout
your life.

Measurement

Active range of motion is

typically measured with a
goniometer---a tool made up
of a fixed arm and a
movable arm that measures
angles. The fixed arm is
lined up with a stationary
line on the subject's body,
and the movable arm is lined
up with the limb being moved. For instance, to measure active range of
motion of the knee, the fixed arm of the goniometer would be aligned with
the humerus (thigh bone), and the movable arm would be aligned with the
fibula (lower leg bone). The subject moves the limb as far as possible in the
direction being measured and holds while the measurement is done. This also
ensures that momentum is not being used to assist with the movement.

Everyday Uses

Active range of motion exercises are useful for everyone, from athletes to the
health-conscious. Athletes often use active range of motion exercises to
warm up, and according to the "Journal of Sport Sciences," this type of
warmup is much more effective than static stretching before workouts and
competitions. Active range of motion is also useful for non-athletes as a
method of maintaining or increasing flexibility.

Therapeutic Uses

Active range of motion is commonly used in a hospital and therapeutic

setting. Diseases for which active range of motion exercise can be helpful
include musculoskeletal conditions such as fibromyalgia, arthritis,
osteoporosis, tendinitis and bone breaks or sprains. Active range of motion
exercise is also useful for any condition that requires bed rest, including
cancers, HIV/AIDS and abnormal pregnancies.

Warning

If initiating an active range of motion exercise program on your own, use

caution. You should avoid any exercise that requires the use of momentum to
attain maximal movement---called "ballistic stretching"---as this type of
stretching can pull or tear muscles and ligaments. However, passive range of
motion exercises that are performed in a slow and controlled way are
generally safe to try on your own.