DO YOU WANT TO REDUCE PAIN? PREVENT INJURY? ENHANCE YOUR PERFORMANCE & RECOVERY?
YOU WILL NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR BODY'S RANGE OF MOTION (ROM)
So what is Range of Motion?
ROM is the extent of movement of a joint, in typically either flexion, extension, abduction (movement away mid line), adduction (movement toward mid line), or rotation (internal/external).
ROM may be limited by one or more of the following:
muscles
tendons
fascia
ligaments
bone structure
soft tissue obstruction
What impact does ROM have on your sport and life?
When you have limited rang of motion, you are less flexible and agile, your muscles are tight, and you feel aching and pain because you try to force your body to move beyond what it is capable of doing in completing that particular movement(s). When you are competing and playing sport, you will be exerting even more force on your muscles and body. Yes, your muscles will warm up and you will gain more range of motion in your overall body, but this is typically because your muscles are compensating for the joint movement.
When your body can no longer compensate and cannot accommodate the force you exert on it, this is when injuries occur. Your body as reached its limit and the weakest link has failed/ruptured/torn/broken etc.
Any pain you feel, is because your body in one way, shape or form is required to do something it currently cannot do, or cannot do freely.
Your body is made up of many systems, including; Musculoskeletal System, Nervous System, Cardiovascular System, Digestive System, Respiratory System, Metabolic System, Immune System. Each system relies on another system to do its job. The greater the deviation your bodies alignment is from its optimal position the more it restricts each system from operating at their best. You restrict blood flow, oxygen, nerves and change the position of organs, and therefore restrict the amount of nutrients each system needs in order to recover effectively.
When you become aware of your body’s ROM and use the most effective ways to increase your range of motion you:
Increase your performance and recovery
Lower the chance of getting an injury or multiple injuries
Are likely to feel less pain
So what is the average ROM for joints?
When testing yourself, the key is to ensure another joint is not compensating for the ROM in the joint you are testing.
There are four (or eight when doubled) load joints in your body. These are your shoulder(s), hip(s), knee(s) and ankle(s). The different joint movements include:
Flexion
Extension
Abduction
Adduction
Internal Rotation
External Rotation
The following joints have the following average ROM:
Shoulder
Flexion = 180º
Extension = 45º
Abduction = 180º
Adduction = 0º
Internal Rotation = 70º
External Rotation = 90º
Hip
Flexion = 125º
Extension = 10º
Abduction = 45º
Adduction = 10º
Internal Rotation = 45º
External Rotation = 45º
Knee
Flexion = 140º
Extension = 0º
Ankle
Plantar Flexion = 140º
Dorsiflexion = 20º
The best way to reduce pain, prevent injury and enhance your performance & recovery is to increase your range of motion.
DON'T LEAVE IT TO CHANCE.
Take your body and life to the next level, and click here today to get your free assessment with our Postural Alignment Specialists.