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Physiotherapy vocabulary · Assessment and Examination

End feel

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In physiotherapy, end feel means: The quality of resistance the physiotherapist feels at the very end of a joint's passive movement, described as hard, firm, soft or empty.

In Turkish: son his, end-feel

How it is used

A manual assessment term. Normal end feels include hard (bone meeting bone, as in elbow extension), soft (tissues pressing together, as in knee flexion) and firm (capsule or ligaments being stretched). An abnormal end feel, such as an empty one where pain stops the movement before any resistance is felt, can point to a problem.

Example sentences

  1. Passive shoulder rotation had a firm end feel with no pain.

  2. An empty end feel is unusual and worth discussing with a senior colleague.

Common collocations

  • firm end feel
  • hard end feel
  • empty end feel
  • assess end feel
  • passive range of motionHow far a joint can move when someone else, usually the physiotherapist, moves it while the patient's muscles stay relaxed.
  • joint mobilisationA manual therapy technique in which the physiotherapist moves a joint slowly and repeatedly, within or towards the limit of its range, to reduce pain or stiffness.
  • objective assessmentThe part of a physiotherapy assessment in which the physiotherapist observes, measures and tests the patient's body, for example movement, strength and special tests.
  • range of motionHow far a joint can move in each direction, usually measured in degrees from a starting position.

More terms: Assessment and Examination

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