[An Investigation the Infant and Young Child Spinal Range of Motion]

by

An Investigation the Infant and Young Child Spinal Range of Motion

Introduction

The cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine is a difficult joint to measure. The location of the spine makes it difficult to isolate for measurement, so a device called an inclinometer is often used to measure it. Depending on the position of the patient, one may choose instead to use a goniometer to measure the rotation of the spine, but it is more difficult.

The spine is made up of 24 bones called vertebrae. These are divided into three groups: cervical, thoracic and lumbar or the neck, mid-back and low-back. In between each bone is a disc that acts as a cushion called the intervertebral disc. The bones are further connected by small muscles called multifidi that allow you to move the spine in conjunction with the larger muscles of the body (Lowery, 2002, 398).

Spinal motion is measured in degrees of range of motion, or ROM. All movement starts from a neutral position, standing up straight, arms to the sides and eyes straight ahead. This is 0 degrees. The four movements measured are flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation. Flexion is forward bending; extension is bending backward; lateral flexion is side bending; and rotation is a twisting motion.

Cervical Spine

The cervical spine supports and enables one to move the head. It's made up of seven vertebrae and is shaped like an inward "C" called a lordotic curve. Flexion is dropping the chin to the chest, and the normal ROM is 45 degrees. Extension is dropping the head back and looking up. Normal extension ROM is 45 degrees. The normal ROM for lateral flexion, or dropping the ear to the shoulder, is also 45 degrees. Normal ROM for rotation is 80 degrees in each direction.

Thoracic and Lumbar Spine

The thoracic section of the spine is made up of 12 vertebrae and shaped like a backward C, called a kyphotic curve. The lumbar spine is made up of five vertebrae, and it curves in like the cervical spine in a lordotic curve. Together, these vertebrae allow you to perform the major movements of the spine. The normal ROM for flexion or forward bending is 90 degrees. For extension, it's approximately 30 degrees. The normal ROM for side bending and rotation is also 30 degrees.

Function

Many sports and daily activities require a full range of motion of the spine. If the spine has limited mobility, it may result in stiffness or pain and require a doctor or physical therapist's help to regain a full range of motion. The inclinometer or goniometer is used to assess the patient's range of motion in the thoracic spine to see if there are any deficiencies (Pearcy, 2009, 73).

Types

Two instruments are often used to determine the range of motion of the spine. The goniometer is used for patients in a seated position, while an inclinometer is often used to measure the thoracic spine of a patient in a bent over ...