For shoulder ROM in flexion/extension, which instruction is correct?

For shoulder ROM in flexion/extension, which instruction is correct?

• A. Raises client's straightened arm from side up to head/ear and returns down to side (flexion/extension).
• B. Moves straightened arm away from side to shoulder level and return to side (abduction/adduction).
• C. Keep the arm at side and do not move.
• D. Only move if pain occurs.

Answer: (A)

The movement being tested is shoulder flexion and extension, which means lifting the arm forward and upward from the side and then returning it to the starting position. Keeping the arm straight helps isolate the shoulder joint and measure the full arc without bending the elbow, so the motion really reflects flexion (to overhead) and extension (back to the side). The instruction that tells the client to raise a straightened arm from the side up to the head or ear and then lower it back to the side demonstrates both directions of motion in the correct plane, making it the best way to assess flexion/extension. Abduction/adduction would involve moving the arm away from and toward the body at the side or shoulder level, not the intended flexion/extension. Waiting for pain or not moving at all would not properly assess the ROM. So this instruction provides the appropriate sequence and form for testing shoulder flexion and extension.

The movement being tested is shoulder flexion and extension, which means lifting the arm forward and upward from the side and then returning it to the starting position. Keeping the arm straight helps isolate the shoulder joint and measure the full arc without bending the elbow, so the motion really reflects flexion (to overhead) and extension (back to the side). The instruction that tells the client to raise a straightened arm from the side up to the head or ear and then lower it back to the side demonstrates both directions of motion in the correct plane, making it the best way to assess flexion/extension. Abduction/adduction would involve moving the arm away from and toward the body at the side or shoulder level, not the intended flexion/extension. Waiting for pain or not moving at all would not properly assess the ROM. So this instruction provides the appropriate sequence and form for testing shoulder flexion and extension.