Importance of Adequate (normal) Range Of Motion (ROM)

Rom means Range of motion.

Shortened muscle means " a range of motion which is less than normal.

ROM is how much a joint can be "lengthened". Without  adequate ROM our movement can be dysfunctional, all sorts of compensations and imbalances can happen. So it is necessary to include a flexibility program to maintain adequate ROM. 

Main Reasons we lose range of motion.

1. Diseases which affect the muscles, or nerves. Hospital stays where we can be bed ridden for some time. 

2. Age - our muscles kind of dry up and lose elasticity as we age, this can be combated with good diet and stretching.

3. Injury - It is essential that after any injury range of motion is tested.

4. Bad posture - Rehab should involve testing ranges of motion and restoring if need be.

5. Badly designed exercise programs.

The Number one mistake a lot of physios make is neglecting the passive range of motion tests in their assessment, range of motion tests can help identify "shortened" muscles , which can help find the dysfunctions. 

Proper diagnosis is the key to effective treatment, a lot of the times the issue is just a "shortened" muscle which has not been detected.

Table showing normal or minimum range of motion needed:

Excerpt from the book NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training, Second Edition, published by Human Kinetics.

Developing flexibility is an important goal of any training program. Achieving optimum flexibility helps eliminate awkward and inefficient movement by allowing joints to move freely through a full normal ROM, and it may also provide increased resistance to muscle injury. Improving flexibility is a fundamental element of any training program because ROM may enhance the ability to perform various movement skills, especially those that require a high level of flexibility (i.e., serving a tennis ball, picking up a bag of groceries off the floor)

It is important to note that while great athletes may have above-average flexibility; this may not be why they are successful. The ability to move effectively depends on strength with coordination, and being flexible can enhance this ability in certain situations. The goal of flexibility training is not to get to a point at which the client has no joint stability, but rather to achieve strength combined with flexibility that can allow the client to better control his or her movements.

Flexibility training is also important in injury prevention. Among the more common problems seen in individuals with poor flexibility is lower back pain potentially resulting from tight quadriceps, iliopsoas, and back muscles (and possibly a corresponding weakness in the abdominal muscles and hamstrings). A lack of flexibility may also increase the incidence of muscle tears resulting from tight muscles on one or both sides of a joint. The accepted rule regarding the role of flexibility in injury prevention is that a normal ROM (i.e., the ROM common to most individuals) in each joint will reduce the chance for injury. If a client is involved in a sport or activity that requires greater than normal ROM, then more emphasis should be placed on increasing flexibility to help protect against injury.