Range of Motion Testing (ROM)
What It Measures
Range of motion testing measures how far a joint moves, in degrees. It is the most basic objective measurement in rehabilitation and one of the most frequently repeated, because a joint that is not moving tells you something a person's description of their pain cannot.
Two things are measured separately. Active range is how far a person moves the joint themselves, which depends on strength and willingness as well as joint mobility. Passive range is how far the examiner can move it for them, which isolates the joint and surrounding tissue. A gap between the two points toward weakness or pain rather than a structural restriction. A goniometer is aligned to bony landmarks — an axis over the joint, a stationary arm along one segment, a moving arm along the other.
Further Reading
Additional Notes
Licensing Notes: Goniometry is a clinical method, not a proprietary instrument, and no licence or fee applies.
Learn More: Three things determine whether a measurement means anything. Landmarks must be identical every time — the goniometer's axis, stationary arm, and moving arm each align to a specified bony point, and moving any of them shifts the reading.
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