Manual Muscle Testing (MMT)
What It Measures
Manual muscle testing grades how strong a muscle or muscle group is by watching what it can move against — nothing, gravity, or the examiner's hand. It is the oldest and most widely used strength measure in rehabilitation, and it needs no equipment at all.
The Medical Research Council scale runs 0 to 5. Grade 0 is no contraction; grade 1 is a flicker that can be seen or felt but produces no movement; grade 2 is full range with gravity eliminated; grade 3 is full range against gravity; grade 4 adds moderate resistance; grade 5 holds against maximal resistance. Grade 3 is the practical dividing line — the point at which a limb becomes useful for everyday tasks.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: MMT is a clinical method, not a proprietary instrument. Many methods and manuals exist on various websites and in various textbooks.
Test the less-affected side first to establish a comparison.
Related Treatment Guides
Occupational Therapy and Stroke Rehab: Chronic Phase
Occupational Therapy and Stroke Rehab: Acute Phase
Functional Neurological Disorder: Treatments, Assessments, and Therapists
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: OT Treatment
Golfer's Elbow: Occupational Therapy Treatment
Occupational Therapy and Stroke Rehab
Occupational Therapy for Distal Radius (Wrist) Fracture
OT for Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD)
Therapy for Rotator Cuff Strain
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) & Occupational Therapy
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: Therapy Treatment
De Quervain's Tenosynovitis: Therapy Treatment
