Flexibility Flashcards

1
Q

Flexibility:

A

ability of a joint, or series of joints, to move through a full ROM without injury

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2
Q

Flexibility is important for:

A
  • various sports
  • various occupations
  • ADLs
  • maintain ROM during aging
  • rehab
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3
Q

Does flexibility really prevent injuries?

A
  • intuitively yes, research wise - difficult to directly prove
  • what about individuals who are hyper-mobile?
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4
Q

Static flexibility:

A

ability to move a joint through the total ROM and maintain the limits of that range

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5
Q

Dynamic flexibility:

A

ability to move a joint quickly through a ROM and is dependent on the resistance of the joint to the movement

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6
Q

5 characteristics of static flexibility:

A
  • safe, low risk of injury
  • low energy requirement
  • practical to assess
  • standardized protocols
  • valid and reliable in most cases
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7
Q

5 characteristics of dynamic flexibility:

A
  • safety is questionable
  • higher energy demanding (depending on movement type and velocity)
  • standardization is difficult to control
  • more difficult to establish validity and reliability
  • more realistic with respect to health/performance
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8
Q

Factors influencing flexibility:

A
  • joint structure
  • soft tissues
  • contracture
  • age
  • body type
  • gender
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9
Q

The structure of the joint capsule and the interface between the articulating surfaces (bones) influence flexibility by ____%. How easy is it to alter?

A
  • 47%

- difficult

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10
Q

What % do soft tissues influence flexibility? How easy is it to alter?

A
  • muscles, fascia = 41%
  • tendons, ligaments = 10%
  • skin = 2%
  • quite feasible
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11
Q

Contracture:

A

due to chronic immobilization or shortening of a joint (spasticity) such that soft tissues loses its elasticity and remain permanently shortened

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12
Q

How does age affect flexibility?

A
  • generally flexibility decreases with age
  • elasticity of soft tissues decreases
  • levels of arthritis increase
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13
Q

How does body type affect flexibility?

A
  • excessive muscle mass and body fat can influence flexibility
  • does not necessarily mean body builders or obese individuals are not flexible
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14
Q

How does gender affect flexibility?

A
  • generally women are more flexible than men at all ages
  • due to anatomical differences (eg. pelvis structure) and hormones
  • but men may have greater ROM in hip extension/spinal flexion so it is somewhat joint specific
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15
Q

Direct methods of static flexibility:

A
  • equipment used to measure ROM about a joint in degrees
  • measure angular displacements between adjacent segments or from an external reference
  • Leighton Flexometer is the most common and convenient method
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16
Q

How does the Leighton Flexometer work?

A
  • has a weighted 360 degree dial and pointer to measure ROM in relation to the downward pull of gravity on the dial and pointer
  • can be strapped to a variety of standardized positions on limbs and measures ROM in degrees
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17
Q

Limitations of Leighton Flexometer:

A

difficult to distinguish between hip and trunk ROM

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18
Q

How does the goniometer work?

A
  • uses a 360 dial to measure ROM

- ROM is measured throughout the movement pattern in degrees

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19
Q

Limitations of goniometer:

A

validity and reliability are good, but can be influenced by difficulties in locating the joint centre and maintaining position

20
Q

Other indirect methods to measure flexibility:

A

inclinometer

21
Q

How does the inclinometer work?

A
  • gravity dependent device that is hand-held on pre-determined body parts and can measure ROM in degrees
  • clinically convenient
22
Q

Other direct methods to measure flexibility:

A

isokinetic dynamometer

23
Q

How do isokinetic dynamometers work?

A

can provide isolated joint ROM (can accurately measure dynamic flexibility)

24
Q

Characteristics of indirect methods of measuring flexiblity:

A
  • involve the linear measurement of distances between segments or from an external object
  • usually involves distance measured by a tape measurer as opposed to ROM in degrees
  • very practical
  • can be very reliable, but validity is questionable
25
Q

Modified sit and reach test:

A
  • indirect method
  • measures the horizontal displacement during forward flexion
  • standardized the starting point as back straight (against the wall)
  • reach forward, meter stick is placed on top of a box or Wells Dillon Flexometer so that the 0 point is at the finger tips in this straight back seated position
  • attempts to reduce the bias from limb length differences
  • measured to nearest 0.5 cm
26
Q

Back saver sit and reach test:

A
  • indirect method
  • sit and reach test performed one leg at a time
  • modify by sitting on a bench or on a chair
27
Q

Apley’s scratch test procedure:

A
  • indirect methods
    1. touch the opposite shoulder
    2. reach behind the neck to touch upper back
    3. reach upward as far as possible
28
Q

Apley’s scratch test: touching the opposite shoulder checks for…

A
  • GH adduction
  • internal rotation
  • horizontal adduction
  • scapular protraction
29
Q

Apley’s scratch test: reaching behind the neck to touch upper back checks for…

A
  • GH abduction
  • external rotation
  • scapular upward rotation and elevation
30
Q

Apley’s scratch test: reaching upward as far as possible checks for…

A
  • GH adduction
  • internal rotation
  • scapular retraction with downward rotation
31
Q

PNF:

A
  • partner assisted proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
  • stretching technique
  • not normally assessed with a standard test protocol
  • may be relevant for some sport populations
32
Q

Posture:

A

how an individual positions their body with respect to the environment (thus can be standing, sitting, etc.)

33
Q

Postural control:

A

the ability to predict, detect and encode any change in body position; select and adapt a response; and execute the response within the biomechanical constraints of the body or physical restraints of the environment

34
Q

Posture involves info from…. to initiate muscular corrections.

A
  • vestibular (ear)
  • visual
  • somatosensory (receptors in muscles, joints, skin) systems
35
Q

Why assess posture?

A
  • to determine any deficiencies that may lead to health issues such as low back pain, increased risk of falls or for poor sport performance
  • has important consequences for balance
  • poor posture can lead to muscle weakness or other MSK disorder (eg. arthritis)
  • poor posture can lead to general fatigue and de-conditioning
  • mal-alignment/imbalance may increase chance of injury
36
Q

Factors influencing posture:

A
  • self-initiated motion (eg. lifting weights, boxes)
  • response to externally applied loads or forces
  • fatigue and deconditioning
  • age
  • injury and extent of rehabilitation
  • disease (neurological disorder)
37
Q

How does age affect posture?

A

some changes in posture are a result of structural changes in the body that are the normal process of aging

38
Q

Dynamic posturography:

A
  • assesses the status of the vestibular, visual and somatosensory components of the postural control system
  • requires a sophisticated, computer controlled force platform
39
Q

Limitations of dynamic posturography:

A
  • time consuming
  • expensive
  • requires sophisticated processing and interpretation
  • results may not have direct application to real world
40
Q

Visual rating diagrams:

A
  • New York Posture Test

- PostureScreen mobile

41
Q

How to interpret posture tests:

A
  • certified ergonomist (usually OT, PT, kinesiologists) can make corrections snd prescriptions
  • refer?
  • validity and reliability are moderate since most tests (and norms) are typically subjective indirect measures
42
Q

Balance is a component of _____ but also an important independent measurement.

A

posture

43
Q

Static balance is assessed…

A

while standing/sitting/etc. in one spot

44
Q

Dynamic balance is assessed…

A

during movement

45
Q

Balance is influence by similar physiological mechanisms as ____ ____.

A

dynamic posture

46
Q

Direct tests of balance require…

A
  • sophisticated lab equipment and vary in nature

- posturography, computerized platforms, motion control sensors, EMG, etc. )