BONEFIED MOVEMENT AHEAD!
Three main types of movement have been established in a prior blog post: linear, diagonal, and rotational. Combined with our knowledge of planes of movement (another post on KIIP by Dr. Saghiv, we can gain knowledge about the possible movements of the body (and thus empower ourselves even more).
I will dedicate several blog posts to the definitions of specific movements, which planes of movement do they usually occur within, according to specific joints of the body. We will address movements called flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, elevation, depression, internal/medial rotation, external/lateral rotation, protraction, retraction, inversion, eversion, plantar flexion, dorsi flexion, supination, pronation, deviation, opposition, anterior tilt, posterior tilt, and circumlocution.
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First, remember that all movements are relative to the anatomical position. Let begin with the definition of movements as they relate to the angle of the joint, plane of movements, and movement relative to the different aspects of the body:
Flexion - is defined as the decrease in the angle of a joint. While many other movements result in the decrease of the angle of the joint, they have received their own special movement term. Flexion is most commonly regarded as a movement in the sagittal plane of movement, though an example of flexion in the frontal plane of movement also exists.
Extension - is defined as the increase in the angle of a joint. While many other movements result in the increase of the angle of the joint, they have received their own special movement term. Extension is most commonly regarded as a movement in the sagittal plane of movement, though an example of extension in the frontal plane of movement also exists.
Abduction - is defined as the increase in the angle of a joint while a part of the body is moving away from the body (outwards or laterally). Abduction is most commonly regarded as a movement in the frontal and horizontal planes of movement.
Adduction - is defined as the decrease in the angle of a joint while a part of the body is moving towards the body (inwards or medially). Adduction is most commonly regarded as a movement in the frontal and horizontal planes of movement.
Elevation - is defined as the movement of a part of the body upwards (from inferior to superior). Elevation is most commonly regarded as a movement in the frontal plane of movement.
Depression - is defined as the movement of a part of the body downwards (from superior to inferior). Depression is most commonly regarded as a movement in the frontal plane of movement.
Internal/Medial Rotation - is defined as the non-linear movement (rotation) of a bone around a rotation axis, towards the midline of the body. Internal Rotation is most commonly regarded as a movement in the horizontal plane of movement. They commonly include any twisting movements.
External/Lateral Rotation - is defined as the non-linear movement (rotation) of a bone around a rotation axis, away from the midline of the body. External Rotation is most commonly regarded as a movement in the horizontal plane of movement. They commonly include any twisting movements.
Protraction - is defined as the movement of a body part forward (from posterior to anterior) in a straight line parallel to the ground. Protraction is a movement in the sagittal plane of movement.
Retraction - is defined as the movement of a body part backwards (from anterior to posterior) in a straight line parallel to the ground. Retraction is a movement in the sagittal plane of movement.
Eversion - is defined as the tilting of the hand or foot away from the midline of the body. Eversion is a movement in the frontal plane of movement.
Inversion - is defined as the tilting of the hand or foot towards the midline of the body. Inversion is a movement in the frontal plane of movement.
Plantar Flexion - is defined as the decrease of the angle of the ankle that results in the movement of the toes/wrist towards the ground. Plantar Flexion is a movement in the sagittal plane of movement.
Dorsi Flexion - is defined as the decrease of the angle of the ankle that results in the movement of the toes/wrist away from the ground. Dorsi Flexion is a movement in the sagittal plane of movement.
Supination (Under Pronation) - is defined as the rotation of the palm of the hand or sole of the foot upwards and outwards (facing the person in front of you as they look at you). Supination is a movement in the horizontal plane of movement.
Pronation - is defined as the rotation of the palm of the hand or sole of the foot downwards and inwards (hidden from the person in front of you as they look at you). Pronation is a movement in the horizontal plane of movement.
Deviation - is defined as the movement of a body part away from the midline of the limb or body part analyzed. Deviation is further divided into lateral and medial deviation. In lateral deviation the body part moves away of the midline of the body itself, while in medial deviation the body part moves towards the midline of the body itself. Both lateral and medial deviation movements are defined as flexion in the frontal plane. Two very specific deviation movements are unique to the wrist: 1) Radial Deviation - movement of the hand in the frontal plane toward the thumb or radius bone; 2) Ulnar Deviation - movement of the hand in the frontal plane toward the little finger or ulna bone
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Opposition - is defined as the movement of two parts of the body towards each other, similar to a pinching movement of sort. The two body parts do not necessarily need to touch in order for the movement to be considered as an opposition movement. Opposition is a movement in the frontal plane of movement.
Tilt - is defined as the movement of a part of the body into a sloping position. Possible tilt movements exist in the sagittal and frontal planes of movement. more commonly in the sagittal plane of movement. Tilt movements include 1) Anterior tilt - towards the front in the sagittal plane of movement; 2) Posterior tilt - towards the back in the sagittal plane of movement; 3) Lateral tilt - away from the midline of the body in the frontal plane of movement; 4) Medial tilt - towards the midline of the body in the frontal plane of movement.
Circumduction - is defined as the creation of a circular movement with one end of the part of the body, while the other end remains relatively fixated. It is the result of the four movement conducted sequentially (one after the other in a certain order): flexion, adduction, extension, and abduction. Circumduction is a complex movement that spans the sagittal and horizontal planes of movement.
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