Lesson 1

Fundamentals of Movements

Objectives:
 Concepts of Movements
 Explain the concepts of Movements
 Types of Movements
 Enumerate and explain the different body
 Body parts
parts and their movements Discuss physical
fitness and its components
 Perform the fundamental movements with
ease
 Describe the coordination of the different
body system in relation to movements

Create a word cloud using the word “MOVEMENT”

Concept of Movement
Without going into complicated physics explanations and equations, movement
involves an entity moving from point A to point B. The movement is carried out around a
fixed axis or fulcrum and has a direction.

Anatomical movements are no different. They usually involve bones or body

parts moving around fixed joints relative to the main anatomical axes (sagittal, coronal,
frontal, etc.) or planes parallel to them. Therefore, the template of anatomical
movements consists of the following (not all of them are required for every movement)

Anatomical structures involved in the movement.

 Reference axes around which the movement happens.
 Direction, which in anatomy is usually related to a standard plane, such as the
median, medial, sagittal, frontal, etc.

Flexion/Extension
Flexion and extension are movements that take place within the sagittal plane
and involve anterior or posterior movements of the body or limbs. For the vertebral
column, flexion (anterior flexion) is an anterior (forward) bending of the neck or body,
while extension involves a posterior-directed motion, such as straightening from a flexed
position or bending backward. Lateral flexion is the bending of the neck or body
toward the right or left side. These movements of the vertebral column involve both the
symphysis joint formed by each intervertebral disc, as well as the plane type of synovial
joint formed between the inferior articular processes of one vertebra and the superior
articular processes of the next lower vertebra.
In the limbs, flexion decreases the angle between the bones (bending of the
joint), while extension increases the angle and straightens the joint. For the upper limb,
all anterior-going motions are flexion and all posterior-going motions are extension.
These include anterior-posterior movements of the arm at the shoulder, the forearm at
the elbow, the hand at the wrist, and the fingers at the metacarpophalangeal and
interphalangeal joints. For the thumb, extension moves the thumb away from the palm
of the hand, within the same plane as the palm, while flexion brings the thumb back
against the index finger or into the palm. These motions take place at the first
carpometacarpal joint. In the lower limb, bringing the thigh forward and upward is
flexion at the hip joint, while any posterior-going motion of the thigh is extension. Note
that extension of the thigh beyond the anatomical (standing) position is greatly limited
by the ligaments that support the hip joint. Knee flexion is the bending of the knee to
bring the foot toward the posterior thigh, and extension is the straightening of the knee.
Flexion and extension movements are seen at the hinge, condyloid, saddle, and ball-
and-socket joints of the limbs
The opposing movements of flexion and extension take place in sagittal
directions around transverse axes. Flexion, or bending, involves decreasing the angle
between the two entities taking part in the movement (bones or body parts). In
contrast, extension, or straightening, involves increasing the respective angle.
Hyperextension is the abnormal or excessive extension of a joint beyond its
normal range of motion, thus resulting in injury. Similarly, hyperflexion is excessive flexion
at a joint. Hyperextension injuries are common at hinge joints such as the knee or
elbow. In cases of “whiplash” in which the head is suddenly moved backward and then
forward, a patient may experience both hyperextension and hyperflexion of the
cervical region.

Knee
Flexion and extension of the knee consists
of the following:
Anatomical structures: The tibia of the leg
moves relative to the femur of the thigh.
Reference axes: The movement is in the
sagittal plane. The fulcrum is provided by
the knee joint, through which the
transverse axis passes.
Direction: During flexion, the leg moves
backwards (posteriorly). During extension,
it moves forwards (anteriorly).

Elbow
Flexion and extension of the elbow joint
can be described as follows:

Anatomical structures: The forearm moves relative to the the arm. More precisely, the
ulna (one of the two forearm bones) moves relative to the humerus (bone of the arm).
Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. The fulcrum is provided by the
elbow joint, through which the transverse axis passes.
Direction: During flexion, the forearm moves upwards and „closer‟ to the arm, resulting
in a decreased angle between them. During extension it straightens, increasing the
angle relative to the arm.

Shoulder
Flexion and extension of the shoulder occurs like this:

Anatomical structures: The humerus of the arm moves relative to the scapula of the
shoulder blade.
Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. The fulcrum is provided by the
shoulder, or glenohumeral joint, through which the transverse axis passes.
Direction: During flexion, the arm moves anteriorly and upwards (in full flexion). During
extension, it moves posteriorly and downwards. If a full range of motion is performed, it
creates an imaginary arc or semicircle.
Neck
Flexion and extension of the neck follows the format below:

Anatomical structures: The skull and cervical vertebrae of

the neck move relative to the thoracic vertebrae and upper
back.
Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. The
„fulcrum‟ is not fixed due to the anatomy and movement of
the cervical vertebrae, but it can loosely positioned through
the upper thoracic vertebrae. The transverse axis passes
through them.
Direction: During flexion, the head and neck move anteriorly
and downwards (in full flexion). Essentially, you are looking
down. During extension, it moves posteriorly and slightly
downwards.

Vertebral column
Flexion and extension of the vertebral column follows the
following movement template:

Anatomical structures: The vertebral column moves relative

to the sacrum and hip bone.
Reference axes: The movement is in the sagittal plane. You
can imagine the „fulcrum‟ as being loosely through the two
hip bones and sacrum. The transverse axis passes through
them.
Direction: During flexion, when you are bending forward,
the vertebral column moves anteriorly and downwards (in
full flexion). During extension, it moves backwards and slightly downwards.

Abduction, Adduction, and Circumduction

Abduction and adduction are motions of the limbs, hand, fingers, or toes in the
coronal (medial–lateral) plane of movement. Moving the limb or hand laterally away
from the body, or spreading the fingers or toes, is abduction. Adduction brings the limb
or hand toward or across the midline of the body, or brings the fingers or toes together.
Circumduction is the movement of the limb, hand, or fingers in a circular pattern, using
the sequential combination of flexion, adduction, extension, and abduction motions.
Adduction, abduction, and circumduction take place at the shoulder, hip, wrist,
metacarpophalangeal, and metatarsophalangeal joints.
Abduction and adduction motions occur within the coronal plane and involve
medial-lateral motions of the limbs, fingers, toes, or thumb. Abduction moves the limb
laterally away from the midline of the body, while adduction is the opposing movement
that brings the limb toward the body or across the midline. For example, abduction is
raising the arm at the shoulder joint, moving it laterally
away from the body, while adduction brings the arm
down to the side of the body. Similarly, abduction and
adduction at the wrist moves the hand away from or
toward the midline of the body. Spreading the fingers or
toes apart is also abduction, while bringing the fingers or
toes together is adduction. For the thumb, abduction is
the anterior movement that brings the thumb to a 90°
perpendicular position, pointing straight out from the
palm. Adduction moves the thumb back to the
anatomical position, next to the index finger. Abduction
and adduction movements are seen at condyloid,
saddle, and ball-and-socket joints.
Circumduction is the movement of a body region
in a circular manner, in which one end of the body region
being moved stays relatively stationary while the other
end describes a circle. It involves the sequential
combination of flexion, adduction, extension, and
abduction at a joint. This type of motion is found at biaxial
condyloid and saddle joints, and at multiaxial ball-and-sockets joints (see Figure 2).

Arms & Legs

The easiest examples for understanding abduction and adduction are the legs and
arms, which are very similar:

Anatomical structures: The arm moves relative to the trunk and the shoulder. The leg
moves relative to the hip.
Reference axes: The movement is in the frontal plane. You can imagine the „fulcrum‟ as
axes that pierce the shoulder and the hip respectively, each one following in a forward-
backward trajectory.
Direction: During abduction, you are moving your
arm/leg away from the median plane. During adduction,
you are moving them towards the median plane. To
picture these movements, imagine a child jumping and
flailing his/her arms very excitedly in order to grab your
attention.

Rotation
Rotation can occur within the vertebral column, at
a pivot joint, or at a ball-and-socket joint. Rotation of the
neck or body is the twisting movement produced by the
summation of the small rotational movements available
between adjacent vertebrae. At a pivot joint, one bone
rotates in relation to another bone. This is a uniaxial joint,
and thus rotation is the only motion allowed at a pivot
joint. For example, at the atlantoaxial joint, the first
cervical (C1) vertebra (atlas) rotates around the dens,
the upward projection from the second cervical (C2) vertebra (axis). This allows the
head to rotate from side to side as when shaking the head “no.” The proximal
radioulnar joint is a pivot joint formed by the head of the radius and its articulation with
the ulna. This joint allows for the radius to rotate along its length during pronation and
supination movements of the forearm.
Rotation can also occur at the ball-and-socket joints of the shoulder and hip.
Here, the humerus and femur rotate around their long axis, which moves the anterior
surface of the arm or thigh either toward or away from the midline of the body.
Movement that brings the anterior surface of the limb toward the midline of the body is
called medial (internal) rotation. Conversely, rotation of the limb so that the anterior
surface moves away from the midline is lateral (external) rotation (see Figure 3). Be sure
to distinguish medial and lateral rotation, which can only occur at the multiaxial
shoulder and hip joints, from circumduction, which can occur at either biaxial or
multiaxial joints.
Turning of the head side to side or twisting of the body is rotation. Medial and
lateral rotation of the upper limb at the shoulder or lower limb at the hip involves turning
the anterior surface of the limb toward the midline of the body (medial or internal
rotation) or away from the midline (lateral or external rotation).

Supination and Pronation

Supination and pronation are movements of the forearm. In the anatomical
position, the upper limb is held next to the body with the palm facing forward. This is the
supinated position of the forearm. In this position, the radius and ulna are parallel to
each other. When the palm of the hand faces backward, the forearm is in the
pronated position, and the radius and ulna form an X-shape.

Supination and pronation are the movements of the forearm that go between
these two positions. Pronation is the motion that moves the forearm from the supinated
(anatomical) position to the pronated (palm backward) position. This motion is
produced by rotation of the radius at the proximal radioulnar joint, accompanied by
movement of the radius at the distal radioulnar joint. The proximal radioulnar joint is a
pivot joint that allows for rotation of the head of the radius. Because of the slight
curvature of the shaft of the radius, this rotation causes the distal end of the radius to
cross over the distal ulna at the distal radioulnar joint. This crossing over brings the radius
and ulna into an X-shape position. Supination is the opposite motion, in which rotation
of the radius returns the bones to their parallel positions and moves the palm to the
anterior facing (supinated) position. It helps to remember that supination is the motion
you use when scooping up soup with a spoon

Dorsiflexion and Plantar Flexion

Dorsiflexion and plantar flexion are movements at the ankle joint, which is a
hinge joint. Lifting the front of the foot, so that the top of the foot moves toward the
anterior leg is dorsiflexion, while lifting the heel of the foot from the ground or pointing
the toes downward is plantar flexion. These are the only movements available at the
ankle joint
Foot
In the world of anatomy,
flexion of the foot is referred to as
dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. Both
movements happen at the ankle
joint. Dorsiflexion means flexion of
the dorsum (top) part of the foot by
reducing the angle between it and
the anterior surface of the leg. It
happens when you lift the front part
of your foot while keeping your heel
on the ground.
Plantarflexion is flexion of the
plantar (underside) part of the foot
by moving it down. This movement happens when you are standing on your toes or
pointing them.

Supination and Pronation

Supination and pronation are movements of the forearm. In the anatomical
position, the upper limb is held next to the body with the palm facing forward. This is the
supinated position of the forearm. In this position, the radius and ulna are parallel to
each other. When the palm of the hand faces backward, the forearm is in the
pronated position, and the radius and ulna form an X-shape.
Supination and pronation are the movements of the forearm that go between
these two positions. Pronation is the motion that moves the forearm from the supinated
(anatomical) position to the pronated (palm backward) position. This motion is
produced by rotation of the radius at the proximal radioulnar joint, accompanied by
movement of the radius at the distal radioulnar joint. The proximal radioulnar joint is a
pivot joint that allows for rotation of the head of the radius. Because of the slight
curvature of the shaft of the radius, this rotation causes the distal end of the radius to
cross over the distal ulna at the distal radioulnar joint. This crossing over brings the radius
and ulna into an X-shape position. Supination is the opposite motion, in which rotation
of the radius returns the bones to their parallel positions and moves the palm to the
anterior facing (supinated) position. It helps to remember that supination is the motion
you use when scooping up soup with a spoon

Inversion and Eversion

Inversion and eversion are complex movements that involve the multiple plane
joints among the tarsal bones of the posterior foot (intertarsal joints) and thus are not
motions that take place at the ankle joint. Inversion is the turning of the foot to angle
the bottom of the foot toward the midline, while eversion turns the bottom of the foot
away from the midline. The foot has a greater range of inversion than eversion motion.
These are important motions that help to stabilize the foot when walking or running on
an uneven surface and aid in the quick side-to-side changes in direction used during
active sports such as basketball, racquetball, or soccer.
Protraction and Retraction
Protraction and retraction are
anterior-posterior movements of the
scapula or mandible. Protraction of the
scapula occurs when the shoulder is
moved forward, as when pushing against
something or throwing a ball. Retraction
is the opposite motion, with the scapula
being pulled posteriorly and medially,
toward the vertebral column. For the
mandible, protraction occurs when the
lower jaw is pushed forward, to stick out the chin, while retraction pulls the lower jaw
backward.

Depression and Elevation

Depression and elevation are
downward and upward movements of
the scapula or mandible. The upward
movement of the scapula and shoulder
is elevation, while a downward
movement is depression. These
movements are used to shrug your
shoulders. Similarly, elevation of the
mandible is the upward movement of
the lower jaw used to close the mouth or
bite on something, and depression is the
downward movement that produces
opening of the mouth

Excursion
Excursion is the side to side movement of the mandible. Lateral excursion moves
the mandible away from the midline, toward either the right or left side. Medial
excursion returns the mandible to its resting position at the midline.

Superior Rotation and Inferior Rotation

Superior and inferior rotation are movements of the scapula and are defined by
the direction of movement of the glenoid cavity. These motions involve rotation of the
scapula around a point inferior to the scapular spine and are produced by
combinations of muscles acting on the scapula. During superior rotation, the glenoid
cavity moves upward as the medial end of the scapular spine moves downward. This is
a very important motion that contributes to upper limb abduction. Without superior
rotation of the scapula, the greater tubercle of the humerus would hit the acromion of
the scapula, thus preventing any abduction of the arm above shoulder height. Superior
rotation of the scapula is thus required for full abduction of the upper limb. Superior
rotation is also used without arm abduction when carrying a heavy load with your hand
or on your shoulder. You can feel this rotation when you pick up a load, such as a
heavy book bag and carry it on only one shoulder. To increase its weight-bearing
support for the bag, the shoulder lifts as the scapula superiorly rotates. Inferior rotation
occurs during limb adduction and involves the downward motion of the glenoid cavity
with upward movement of the medial end of the scapular spine.

Opposition and Reposition

Opposition is the thumb movement that brings the tip of the thumb in contact
with the tip of a finger. This movement is produced at the first carpometacarpal joint,
which is a saddle joint formed between the trapezium carpal bone and the first
metacarpal bone. Thumb opposition is produced by a combination of flexion and
abduction of the thumb at this joint. Returning the thumb to its anatomical position next
to the index finger is called reposition
 Activity 1.1 Complete the table below by supplying the
necessary information in each column

General
Type of
Movement Example Classification
Joint
(loco/nonloco)

Uniaxial joint; allows

rotational movement

Uniaxial joint; allows

flexion/extension
movements

Biaxial joint; allows

flexion/extension,
abduction/adduction, and
circumduction movements

Biaxial joint; allows

flexion/extension,
abduction/adduction, and
circumduction movements

Multiaxial joint; allows

inversion and eversion of
foot, or flexion, extension,
and lateral flexion of the
vertebral column

Multiaxial joint; allows

flexion/extension,
abduction/adduction,
circumduction, and
medial/lateral rotation
movements

Activity 1.2
Create a Docu-film showing the fundamental movements. Send your clip on the
google classroom
Activity 1.3
Compose a coherent and logical definition of what is meant of movement
based on the body parts used

Activity 1.4
Review your lesson and login to your google classroom then take the 3rd quiz.

Below is a tool that will identify your level of proficiency when it comes to the
mastery of lesson. Rate yourself from 1 – 5 , 1 as the lowest and five as the highest. Then
write the facilitating factors that makes you proficient or hindering factors why you think
you‟re less proficient in a certain area

Competency Level of Facilitating Hindering Factors

Proficiency Factors
1 2 3 4 5
I understand the lesson well
I can compose a coherent and
logical definition of what is
meant of movement based on
the body parts and enumerate
and explain the different body
parts and their movements
I did the required activities set
by my instructor timely
I participated well in class
discussion
I am now ready for the next
lesson
Total
“The body says what words cannot”
Martha Graham