RANGE OF MOTION Range-of-motion testing is a critical diagnostic (and treatment) tool for myofascial pain, mysterious knee pain, night-time calf-cramps, headaches, sore shoulders and other conditions. Used in conjunction with muscle pain charts, ROM testing allows you to distinguish overlapping pain patterns, locate areas where symptoms have not yet appeared, and differente between symptoms in individual muscles. Proper evaluation of joint ROM and muscle strength (volition) are essential to successful patient management. Success in these evaluations is based on use of several accepted measuring principles: All motions of a joint are measured from defined zero starting point positions. The degrees of motion of a joint are added in the direction the joint moves from the zero starting position. The extended anatomical position of an extremity is accepted as zero degrees rather than as 180 degrees. Motions are described as active or passive. Active motion is the patient's movement of the joint through a specified arc of motion. Passive motion is the examiner's movement of the joint through a special fled arc of motion. Both motions are compared to the accepted ROM for that joint, and any limitation in range due to muscle contracture, capsule restriction, or ligamentous. bony orspastic antagonist is noted.