Active Movement
How to Assess
- Ask the patient to move the joint themselves. Assess the neutral position and the range of motion, and ask whether range of motion is limited by pain, weakness or stiffness.
Significance
- Active movement is an indicator of the patient's ability to move the joint. It may be limited due to weakness, pain, mechanical stiffness or poor compliance.
Causes of Limited Active Movement
- Joint pain / stiffness - see below
- Upper motor neuron lesion - stroke, tumour, trauma, hypoxia, demyelination, deposition, inflammation
- Lower motor neuron lesion - trauma, compression, demyelination, neuromuscular disorders, diabetes
- Poor compliance
Extra Credit
Additional Causes of Limited Thoracic / Lumbar Spine Range of Motion
- Fracture - compression, spinous process, vertebral body
- Degenerative disc disease
- Disc herniation
- Spinal stenosis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
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