Question

What information can be gained from a passive assessment and an active assessment of joint motion?

Answer 1

Passive range of motion is the ability of a joint to be moved through its normal arc of motion while relaxed, in this the movement applied to a joint solely by another person or a passive motion machine. When passive range of motion is applied, the joint of an individual receiving exercise is completely relaxed while the outside force moves the body part, such as a leg or arm, throughout the available range.

If pain in present with active range of motion than this is considered as positive, this could result from  sprain of the joint(s), and/or a strain or spasm of the antagonist muscles,or strain of mover muscle, for example, stiffness caused by capsular or ligamentous tightness, decreased joint space, or bone spur.

Active range of motion, is the motion of a joint that may be achieved by active muscle contraction, in this case, there is no outside force aiding in the movement .Examples of these activities include swimming; walking in water, climbing stairs, etc. This can indicate problems with your range of motion, any problems with your circulation, active measures can improve range of motion. This is more commonly done as a dynamic warmup (stretching), in which you move your body in various positions to increase circulation and range of motion.