Muscle Movements

Important muscle movements to know include the following:

▶ Abduction: Muscles that draw a body part, such as a finger, arm, or toe away from the midline of the body or of an extremity. In the hand: abduction separates the fingers.

▶ Addiction: Muscles that draw a body part, such as a finger, arm or toe inward towards the median axis of the body or of an extremity. In the hand, addiction draws the fingers together.

▶ Flexion: When the muscle move to pull the body part toward the core of the body, Ex: when the biceps of the arms are activated toward the body.

▶ Extension: When the muscles straighten. When the wrist, hand, and fingers form a straight line for example.

▶ Pronate: When the muscles turn inward. Exmaple: when the palm faces downward.

▶ Supinate: When the muscles rotate. Example: in the forearm, the radius turns outward and the palm upward.