What is the ROM for lumbar flexion?

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Multiple Choice

What is the ROM for lumbar flexion?

The key idea is how far the lumbar spine can bend forward in a single movement. The lumbar region allows a substantial amount of flexion when you bend forward, more than it does into extension, because of its joint orientation and the way soft tissues stretch in this direction. When you measure lumbar flexion, you’re looking at the movement available in the lumbar segments themselves (often with the pelvis stabilized or accounted for) before you consider how much the hips or thoracic spine might contribute to overall trunk flexion. Normatively, the lumbar spine contributes about 60 to 80 degrees of flexion. That’s why this range is the best fit for lumbar flexion ROM. Values much lower than this would indicate restricted lumbar motion, while values approaching or exceeding 80 degrees tend to involve additional motion from the pelvis or thoracic spine rather than lumbar segments alone.

The key idea is how far the lumbar spine can bend forward in a single movement. The lumbar region allows a substantial amount of flexion when you bend forward, more than it does into extension, because of its joint orientation and the way soft tissues stretch in this direction. When you measure lumbar flexion, you’re looking at the movement available in the lumbar segments themselves (often with the pelvis stabilized or accounted for) before you consider how much the hips or thoracic spine might contribute to overall trunk flexion.

Normatively, the lumbar spine contributes about 60 to 80 degrees of flexion. That’s why this range is the best fit for lumbar flexion ROM. Values much lower than this would indicate restricted lumbar motion, while values approaching or exceeding 80 degrees tend to involve additional motion from the pelvis or thoracic spine rather than lumbar segments alone.

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