Portable Strength Measurement: Best Practice Update (#1309)

Course overview

Across patient populations and treatment settings, strength is a "rehabilitation vital sign." Both occupational and physical therapy prioritize strength assessment because muscle weakness is a prime determinant of physical function. Just as it is possible to assess heart rate through palpitation and electronic monitoring, strength measurement may be accomplished through both low-tech (manual muscle testing) and high-tech (isokinetic testing) means. Because therapists in the field require portable means of assessing strength, manual muscle testing is a universal choice for this purpose. This course updates therapists about manual muscle testing and two additional methods for assessing strength in a wide range of settings: one-repetition method (1RM), and hand held dynamometry. While each of these tools is a valid measure of strength, important differences exist in reliability. This course presents the advantages and disadvantages of each of these assessment methods. For therapists using manual muscle testing, strategies to optimize reliability and bring routine testing procedures to updated standards is explored. For those interested in learning about other valid and reliable alternatives that are both portable and time-efficient, this course describes testing procedures and parameters for 1RM and dynamometry. The advantages of reference values for dynamometry in objectifying strength impairment, comparing function thresholds, and establishing purposeful goals are included. All therapists assess "rehabilitation vital signs" and this literature-based update brings them up to speed with best practices as well as introducing new opportunities in the realm of strength assessment.