Skip to main content

Test Positioning

It is important to palpate bony landmarks when measuring ROM to place the axis of the goniometer in the proper position and to point the arms of goniometer towards the proper bony landmarks, too. By placing the goniometer on the bony landmark, it increases interrater and intrarater reliability. If two therapists were to measure ROM on a client, it is important that both perform the measure in the same way, using the same landmarks to ensure that the measurement is the most accurate. 

Additionally, it is important to position the client in the proper position to measure the joint. If this is not done, the client’s full available range of motion may not be recorded or measured because it could not be obtained in that specific position. For example, when measuring knee extension, a towel should be placed under the client’s ankle to allow for the full extension to be obtained. If the initial therapist performs the measurement with the towel under the ankle, but the second therapist does not, it may appear the client has not made much improvement.

“Test position” is the position that the muscle or muscle group is able to produce optimal muscle contraction. The therapist will have the patient in this position before performing the manual muscle test (MMT) so the therapist can position themselves to apply resistance against the muscles in the proper place. Additionally the therapist will be able to palpate the contracting muscles in the test position to feel when they are contracting. The resistance of the therapist should be applied distally and the proximal segment should be stabilized. If the client is not placed in the test position, it may not allow their muscles to provide the best contraction, therefore not producing the most accurate response and reading.


The gravity eliminated position is for clients who are not strong enough to move through the full range of motion against gravity. In this position, the joint moves parallel to the ground. If a patient’s MMT is recorded in gravity eliminated, the best score they could received is poor (2). Poor (2) indicates the client has full available range of motion in the gravity eliminated position.

Comments

Post a Comment


Logan and I on our first day of OT school.

Popular posts from this blog

Parkinson's and Deep Brain Stimulation

   I watched a TED Talk called “Parkinson’s, depression and the switch that might turn them off” by neurosurgeon Andres Lozano. I chose to watched this because I was unfamiliar with deep brain stimulation until we discussed it in class. I wanted to further my knowledge on this subject and the diagnoses that it can be effectively used. Neurosurgery has been around for 7000 years. Originally, people with psychiatric and neurological problems were thought to be possessed by evil spirits. In order to release the spirit, they thought they needed to cut a hole in the skull.    As we have learned, different parts of the brain control different functions. If there is a dysfunction in a specific area of the brain, there are specific functions that will be impaired. Dr. Lozano became interested in this and how deep brain stimulation can help people with various disorders. Deep brain stimulation is achieved by cutting a hole in the skull to reach an area of the brain with ...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Self-Portrait of a Leader

My thoughts on drawing my self-portrait in regards to leadership have changed a little bit since starting OT school. Below I have posted the most recent drawing on the left and the one completed at the beginning of OT school on the right. There are many things that have remained the same; however, there were differences in my 2 drawings. The first major difference is I believe it is important to have a mix of creativity and organization in leadership, and before I thought organization was most important. Additionally, this time I added earrings to symbolize seeing myself as a leader, but I believe this often depends on the situation and if a strong leader is not already present in the group/setting.
Post a Comment
Read more

Therapeutic Relationship

Therapeutic relationships are very important to establish as an occupational therapist. It allows for a deeper connection to be formed, which develops from many factors including trust and empathy. By planning how an interaction with a client will go, including the resources and activities you have planned for their session, it allows for less anxiety and more organization to happen before the interaction. If you let the client know you are invested in their improvement by exemplifying these characteristics, it is likely that the therapeutic outcome with be more positive. As my time as a rehab tech, I saw first hand how vital this relationship can be. When a client doesn't feel confident or sure about therapy and how it will help them, a therapist can let them know with body language and words how they plan to improve their quality of life. Although I know there is always room for improvement, I think I have a good amount of empathy already established. As my time at UTHSC, I kno...
Post a Comment
Read more

Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Translate