Body Movements

Types of movements:

Flexion – contraction resulting in a degree decrease in an angle at a joint

Lateral Flexion – can be thought more as bending or tilting to the left or right (putting                                              ones ear to shoulder)

Dorsiflexion – occurs at the ankle, pulling the distal end of the foot towards the tibia

Plantarflexion – Confusing right? Although flexion is in the name, technically                                                            plantarflexion is extension, pulling the distal end of the foot away from the tibia

Extension – contraction resulting in a degree increase at a joint, the opposite of flexion

Hyperextension – extension in which the degree has increased past anatomical position

Abduction – limbs moving away from the body’s midline in the frontal plane (like the beginning to a jumping jack)

Adduction – limbs moving toward the body’s midline in the frontal plane (like the end of a jumping jack), the opposite of abduction

Transverse Abduction – movement of a limb away from the midline but in the                                                                      transverse plain

Transverse Adduction – movement of a limb towards the midline in the transverse plan,                                                      the opposite of transverse abduction (like a pectoral fly)

Rotation – rotation of a joint, typical of ball-and-socket type joints and where articulating surfaces allow for a spinning motion (turning of the head/torso or at the shoulders are some examples)

Lateral Rotation – rotation away from the midline, can be thought of as outward                                                        rotation

Medial Rotation – rotation towards the midline, can be thought of as inward rotation

Supination – lateral rotation of the wrist

Pronation – medial rotation of the wrist

Protraction – anterior projection of a body part (sticking out the jaw is an example)

Retraction – direct posterior movement of a body part, the opposite of protraction

Elevation – raising a body part directly upwards, no rotation or changes in the degree of a joint (shrugging/closing the jaw are examples)

Depression – forcing a body part directly downwards, opposite of elevation

Inversion – turning the ankle so that the sole of the foot faces towards the midline

Eversion – turning the ankle so that the sole of the foot faces away from the midline

Opposition – moving the little finger and thumb towards each other

Study tools

• Video explaining the different body movement here.