Orthopedics Physical Therapy Generally Accepted Values for Normal Range of Motion (ROM) in Joints By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 15, 2021 Medically reviewed by Oluseun Olufade, MD Medically reviewed by Oluseun Olufade, MD LinkedIn Twitter Oluseun Olufade, MD, is a board-certified orthopedist. He teaches as an Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Joints and Movements Normal Ranges of Motion By Joint Factors Influencing ROM Limited Range of Motion Types of Exercises Range of motion (ROM) measures the distance and direction that a joint can stretch. This varies from person to person. Think back to gym class. Some people could touch their toes, even palm the floor. Others couldn't reach their ankles. Knowing what your ROM is can protect you from overdoing things and getting hurt. Read on to learn more about the ranges of motion that are typically considered normal for various joints throughout the body. Verywell/Laura Porter Joints and Movements Mention joints of the body, and most people think of their knees. You have many other joints, some you might not even realize. Joints are anywhere on your body where your bones, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and muscles attach. Most joints allow for a certain amount of movement in one or more directions. Physical therapists use a device called a goniometer to measure your ROM. The device has two arms with a hinge in the middle. Your therapist will measure the degree to which you can straighten, bend, or rotate your joint. Each joint has different ranges of motion for each type of movement it can perform. A few, like the joints in your skull, don't allow any movement. How Range of Motion is Measured Joint Movements You need to be able to move your joints to do basic tasks like washing your hair. You also need to be able to move well enough to exercise and stay healthy. Some everyday joint movements include: Extension: Straightening a joint. When you straighten your knee or elbow, for example, you increase the angle between the bones at these joints. Flexion: Bending a joint. When you bend your knee or elbow, you decrease the angle of the bones at these joints. Abduction: Movement away from the center of your body. A good example is doing jumping jacks or lifting your arm or leg to get dressed. Adduction: Movement back to the center of the body. A good example is returning your arm to your side after waving or standing with your legs together. Some joints, like your shoulders, are ball-and-socket types. They can move in many different directions. Other joints, like your knees and elbows, are hinge joints designed to open and close in one direction. Normal Ranges of Motion By Joint Your physical therapist or exercise physiologist will measure and record your ROM. Then they'll compare it to the standard ROM value for that joint. During your medical history, they'll ask for your age. ROM standards differ based on how old you are. Commonly used ROM values can differ in exact values, depending on the source. However, they are generally within a similar range. Below are generally accepted values for a normal ROM for some individual joints as measured in degrees. Hip Flexion: 100 degreesBackward extension: 30 degreesAbduction: 0 degreesAdduction: 20 degreesLateral rotation (rotation away from the center of the body): 60 degreesMedial rotation (rotation towards the center of the body): 40 degrees What Is Hip Range of Motion? Knee Flexion: 150 degreesExtension: 120 degrees Ankle Plantar flexion (downward movement): 40 degreesDorsiflexion (upward movement towards the shin): 20 degrees Foot Inversion (inward roll of the sole): 30 degreesEversion (outward roll of the sole): 20 degrees Metatarsophalangeal Joint of the Foot These joints connect your toe bones to your foot bones. Flexion: 30 degreesExtension: 80 degrees Interphalangeal Joint of the Toe These joints are the middle knuckles of the toes. They allow you to bend your toes. Flexion: 50 degreesExtension: 50 degrees Shoulder Flexion: 50 degreesExtension: 150 degreesAbduction: 150 degreesAdduction: 30 degreesLateral rotation: 90 degreesMedial rotation: 90 degrees Elbow Flexion: 150 degreesPronation (rotation inward): 80 degreesSupination (rotation outward): 80 degrees Wrist Flexion: 60 degreesExtension: 60 degreesAbduction: 20 degreesAdduction: 30 degrees Metacarpophalangeal (MCP) These joints are where your finger bones meet your hand bones. Abduction: 25 degreesAdduction: 20 degreesFlexion: 80 degreesExtension: 30 degrees Interphalangeal Proximal (PIP) Joint of the Finger These are the middle knuckles of your fingers. Flexion: 120 degreesExtension: 120 degrees Interphalangeal Distal (DIP) Joint of the Finger These are the knuckles just below your fingernails. Flexion: 80 degreesExtension: 80 degrees Metacarpophalangeal Joint of the Thumb This is where your thumb meets your hand bones. Abduction: 50 degreesAdduction: 40 degreesFlexion: 60 degreesExtension: 60 degrees Interphalangeal Joint of the Thumb This is the middle knuckle of your thumb. Flexion: 80 degreesExtension: 90 degrees Factors Influencing ROM Two significant factors that can affect your ROM are your age and sex. Researchers studied the range of motion of eight joints in 40 men and women. They had the participants do different exercises and measured how far they could move each joint. They also recorded how long it took them to do each exercise. The researchers found nearly a 45% difference between the younger and older participants on foot exercises. The exercises measured the ability to rotate the foot inward and outward. They say even older adults without joint problems can have a smaller ROM than younger people. Older people can also take longer to reach their full ROM for any given joint. The researchers also reported that the women participants had nearly 30% more ROM in their hands than the men. Stretching is believed to increase joint flexibility. In another study, researchers compared ROM values before and after stretching in a group of men and women in their early 20s. The stretching helped improve muscle stiffness in both sexes. However, it only increased ROM in the women. Limited Range of Motion Limited ROM is when you can't move a joint as fully and easily as it should move. This can be due to a problem within the joint or injuries to the joint's soft tissues. Arthritis is the most common cause of stiff joints and limited ROM. Regaining ROM in a joint is one of the first phases of injury rehabilitation. Physical therapists often prescribe specific ROM exercises for each joint. Exercising, stretching, and other forms of regular daily movement help you maintain the ROM you have. If you have limited ROM, static stretching has been shown to increase joint ROM. This involves stretching a muscle as much as possible and holding the position for 15 to 20 seconds. One study also found that applying heat while stretching can be helpful. Participants who used heat during stretching saw a slight improvement in ROM compared to those who stretched without heat. Types of Exercises for Increased ROM Physical therapists often prescribe specific ROM exercises tailored for each joint and condition. These exercises take into account the swelling, pain, and stiffness you have. There are three types of ROM exercises: Active range of motion: You perform these exercises without assistance to improve your ROM or to prevent other problems from occurring.Active assistive range of motion: You do these exercises with your therapist's help. This form is for when your muscles are too weak to complete the full range of motion, or it's too painful for you.Passive range of motion: You don't do anything at all. Your therapist, or a machine, moves your joint and stretches the muscles. This kind of exercise usually occurs during the first stages of recovery after a procedure. If you have limited ROM, your exercises would be designed to increase your flexibility over time gradually. Summary Range of motion, or ROM, is how much you can move or stretch a particular joint. Knowing what your ROM is can help protect you from an injury. Many factors can affect ROM, such as your age, sex, injuries, and arthritis. This article provides generally accepted ROM ranges for joints that you can use for comparison. If you think you need help, see a doctor and ask about physical therapy. Physical therapists can prescribe exercises to help increase your ROM. 9 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reference values for normal joint range of motion. Faisal AI, Majumder S, Mondal T, Cowan D, Naseh S, Deen MJ. Monitoring methods of human body joints: state-of-the-art and research challenges. Sensors . 2019;19(11). doi:10.3390/s19112629 US Veterans Benefits Administration. Joints (shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle) examination. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Range of motion evaluation chart. Hwang J, Jung MC. Age and sex differences in ranges of motion and motion patterns. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2015;21(2):173-186. doi:10.1080/10803548.2015.1029301 Hoge KM, Ryan ED, Costa PB, et al. Gender differences in musculotendinous stiffness and range of motion after an acute bout of stretching. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(10):2618-2626. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e73974 Page P. Current concepts in muscle stretching for exercise and rehabilitation. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2012;7(1):109-119. Nakano J, Yamabayashi C, Scott A, Reid WD. The effect of heat applied with stretch to increase range of motion: a systematic review. Phys Ther Sport. 2012;13(3):180-188. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2011.11.003 Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD, McHugh M. Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016;41(1):1-11. doi:10.1139/apnm-2015-0235 Additional Reading Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reference values for normal joint range of motion. Hwang J, Jung MC. Age and sex differences in ranges of motion and motion patterns. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2015;21(2):173-86. doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2015.1029301 Page P. Current concepts in muscle stretching for exercise and rehabilitation. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2012;7(1):109-119. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Range of motion evaluation chart. By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit