Home on the Range of Motion

Range of motion is the term used to describe how many degrees of motion are available to any given joint. As there are many types of joints, each has an "average" range. However, many of us fall outside these averages, either with excessive motion, or severely limited motion. Joint motion is usually described by the degrees of motion available in each of the various cardinal body planes - frontal, transverse, and sagital - frontal (or coronal) slices the body front to back; transverse (or horizontal) slices top to bottom, or cross-sectional' sagittal (or antero-posterior) slices side to side.

Joints move both in a plane, or planes, and through a plane or planes. For example, your leg swing moves through the sagittal plane, but in the frontal plane, and to a lesser degree, the transverse plane. Most joints move in one plane and through two planes, but several move through all planes, and in multiple planes, as well. Shoulders, hands, and more to the point, feet, and several of its joints, occupy this other category. Most notable of all is the subtalar joint, which moves in three planes, and through three planes as a result. And of equal importance is the quality of motion available to each joint. Whenever a joint is inflamed, or in pain, its quality of motion is impaired.

But why is this important for clubbies to understand? Stay with me over the next few days as I go deep inside the subtalar joint, and what it means to you and me.