There are several different planes that we use to describe the body and movements. Deal with these restrictions up front, and you will live a longer, more fruitful, more productive, and less painful life.You might also be interested in our Anatomy Flashcard Collection which contains over 2000 anatomy flashcards in addition to advanced features such as spaced repetition. The bottom line is that LOSS OF ALIGNMENT and LOSS OF MOVEMENT have the ability to cause a multitude of problems - including problems with your organs ( HERE). In other words, ROM is a wonderful (simple) test, but does not necessarily tell the whole story.

Another reason for this might be that there is ADHESED FASCIA present. If areas of the spine are misaligned or not moving freely in relationship to each other, tissues on one side of the spine (or even above or below the locked segment) might be making up the difference. For another, you might have VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION. This is why comparing right to left is so important. Some people are quite flexible, while others were born stiff and inflexible. There are several reasons this can happen. Just be sure to understand that it is quite possible to have a “normal” ROM of your neck and still be restricted ( HERE). In other words, is it a problem when to move your nose over your right shoulder rapidly, as compared to slowly and deliberately? Then test the ability to go through each of the six ranges rapidly. If you (or your subject) are able, do these ROM’s very slowly the first time around. Oh and don’t forget to test the speed of muscle contraction as well (see the quote in red at the top of the page). When you do the test (in a mirror, have someone watch you, video yourself), simply look for gross deficiencies, differences between the right and left, or discomfort / pain at the end-range. And besides that, you can perform the test in the privacy of your own home anyway. The reason it is so important to know this information is because it is something that your medical doctor is highly unlikely to test when doing your ANNUAL PHYSICAL. Looking in a mirror, these should be about 45 degrees. RIGHT AND LEFT LATERAL FLEXION: These are the movements you would use when you put your ear towards your shoulder (do not cheat and shrug your shoulder up towards your ear).You should be able to get your nose over mid-shoulder (or at the very least, the front of your shoulder). Can you turn your head right and left such as you would do when you nod your head “no”? If so, you are engaging in Cervical Rotation. RIGHT AND LEFT ROTATION: These two are easy.They should be good enough to allow you to set a glass of water on your forehead when in Extension, and be able to put your chin on your chest in Flexion (or nearly on your chest if you are particularly thin). They are the ranges of motion you would use to nod “yes”. FLEXION & EXTENSION: These involve being able to move your head both forward and backward respectively.As you can see, this is the true definition of a “Vicious Cycle”. In other words, loss of normal range of motion causes deterioration of the joint, and deterioration of the joint causes loss of range of motion. Besides frequently being related to pain, one of the biggest problems associated with loss of range of motion is DEGENERATIVE JOINTS caused by a loss of PROPRIOCEPTION. Because we see so many people specifically for CHRONIC NECK PAIN, and because I talk a lot about “ normal” ranges of motion in the Cervical Spine (neck), it would only make sense that you should not only know what those ranges are, but are also aware of the potential consequences of diminished / decreased motion.

Cervical range of motion norms