Instead of using your body weight, have your partner provide resistance by moving your leg through the passive range of motion.Worldwide rates of primary total knee replacement (TKR) as a treatment for end stage knee osteoarthritis are increasing between 5 and 17% per year.Lie down on the floor or rehabilitation table.Lean over your hips to stretch the piriformis.Lay your leg in front of you in a bent position.This exercise, known also as the Pigeon pose, stretches a muscle in this area, the piriformis. Many people could benefit from increase hip flexibility, especially those experiencing lower back discomfort. Use your hand to push the back of your head downward.While seated, rotate your nose toward your armpit.This will stretch the levator scapulae, a muscle that is tight in many people and tends to cause discomfort in the neck and shoulder blade. Lunge your torso forward, ultimately opening your chest up and creating a stretch.Bend your elbow to 90 degrees and line your forearm in an upright position against a hallway or doorway opening.If a partner is assisting with this exercise, they will move your arms through the motion. With that in mind, here are three passive range-of-motion exercises that Martinez said you can do yourself or get assistance with from a professional educated in stretching techniques. They’re also trained to know if it’s targeting the proper areas to achieve the most benefits. Second, they know how long to hold the stretch for. “This is superior for a few reasons,” he said.įirst, the trained professional understands proper limits and knows how far to go. “With these exercises, a trained professional moves your body into the stretch and holds it for you, with the intent to increase your muscle flexibility,” explained Martinez. However, having someone assist with the stretch is a more effective way to practice passive range-of-motion exercises. This will help you hold a stretch for a more sustained period of time. One way to do this according to Martinez is with a tool such as a stretching strap. Some of the most common and safest passive range-of-motion exercises are related to stretching the surrounding muscles with the goal to increase muscle flexibility.

Stretching is best done prior to an activity or exercise. 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. In addition, active measures can improve range of motion. “Most commonly, this involves passive stretching where either a trained individual or an apparatus (stretch straps) helps to assist the stretching process,” Martinez explained. That said, choosing the best method to improve your range of motion also depends on your goals.Īccording to Martinez, if your goal is to increase the function and range of motion of your joints specifically (generally post-injury), it’s best to work with a trained professional such as a physician or physical therapist.Īnd if your purpose is to increase the flexibility of your muscles, working with a trained professional who is knowledgeable in this field such as a personal trainer is key as well. This allows for greater change over time. The best way to improve your range of motion, said Martinez, is through passive measures, because more force can be applied and held for longer. This is commonly done in athletics, exercise classes, and group rehabilitation classes. To get the injured area healthy again, a physical therapist will use this type of exercise as part of your overall treatment plan.Ī personal trainer may use passive range-of-motion exercises during a training session to help you improve mobility and athletic performance.Īdditionally, you may perform passive range-of-motion exercises as part of a partner-assisted stretching routine. If your range of motion is limited, you’ll benefit from spending some time performing a series of passive or active range-of-motion exercises. This is typically done during a physical assessment after an injury or as part of a rehabilitation program. To get a better idea of the impact on a particular joint, a doctor, physical therapist, athletic trainer, or other qualified health professional can measure the amount of movement in a joint or body part to see if there is a limited range of motion. That’s because the range of motion or the distance and direction a joint can move is often limited after experiencing trauma to that area. If you’re dealing with the aftermath of an injury to your shoulders, knees, hips, neck, or any other part of your body that’s home to a joint, then you know how easy it is for your range of motion to be affected.

Knee passive range of motion