Okuzeka
Physiotherapy vocabulary · Movement and Range of Motion

Flexion

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/ˈflɛkʃən/nounCore term

In physiotherapy, flexion means: A bending movement that makes the angle between two parts of the body smaller, such as bending the elbow or the knee.

In Turkish: fleksiyon, bükme

How it is used

Used constantly in notes, measurements and reports, together with extension: 'knee flexion is 110 degrees', 'pain on lumbar flexion'. With patients, physiotherapists use everyday words instead: 'bend your knee', 'bend forward'. The verb is flex.

Example sentences

  1. Hip flexion is limited to 90 degrees and painful at the end of range.

  2. Bring your knee towards your chest to work on hip flexion.

Common collocations

  • knee flexion
  • hip flexion
  • lumbar flexion
  • pain on flexion
  • full flexion
  • extensionA straightening movement that makes the angle between two parts of the body larger, such as straightening the knee or leaning the trunk backwards.
  • range of motionHow far a joint can move in each direction, usually measured in degrees from a starting position.
  • bendTo move a joint so that the body part folds and the angle at the joint gets smaller; the everyday word for flexion.
  • goniometerA measuring tool with two arms joined at a hinge, used to measure the angle of a joint in degrees.

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.