Okuzeka
Physiotherapy vocabulary · Movement and Range of Motion

Adduction

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/əˈdʌkʃən/nounCore term

In physiotherapy, adduction means: A movement that brings a limb back towards or across the midline of the body, such as bringing the arm down to the side.

In Turkish: addüksiyon, yaklaştırma

How it is used

The opposite of abduction, used for the shoulder, hip, fingers and toes; squeezing the legs together, for example, is hip adduction. The muscles that do this at the hip are the adductors, a common place for groin strains in football.

Example sentences

  1. Squeeze the ball between your knees to work on hip adduction.

  2. Adduction strength was reduced on the injured side.

Common collocations

  • hip adduction
  • adductor strain
  • horizontal adduction
  • adductor squeeze
  • abductionA movement that takes a limb away from the midline of the body, such as lifting the arm out to the side.
  • strainAn injury to a muscle or tendon in which fibres are overstretched or torn, often during a quick, powerful movement.
  • range of motionHow far a joint can move in each direction, usually measured in degrees from a starting position.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Movement and Range of Motion

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.