The Functional Reach test can be administered while the patient is standing (Functional Reach) or sitting (Modified Functional Reach).
•The patient is instructed to next to, but not touching, a wall and position the arm that is closer to the wall at 90 degrees of shoulder flexion with a closed fist.
•The assessor records the starting position at the 3rd metacarpal head on the yardstick.
•Instruct the patient to "Reach as far as you can forward without taking a step".
•The location of the 3rd metacarpal is recorded.
•Scores are determined by assessing the difference between the start and end position is the reach distance, usually measured in centimeters.
•Three trials are done and the average of the last two is noted.
•Performed with a leveled yardstick that has been mounted on the wall at the height of the patient’s acromion level in the non-affected arm while sitting in a chair.
•Hips, knees and ankles positioned are at 90 degree of flexion, with feet positioned flat on the floor.
•The initial reach is measured with the patient sitting against the back of the chair with the upper-extremity flexed to 90 degrees, measure was taken from the distal end of the third metacarpal along the yardstick.
•Consists of three conditions over three trials.
•Sitting with the unaffected side near the wall and leaning forward.
•Sitting with the back to the wall and leaning right.
•Sitting with the back to the wall leaning left.
•Instructions should include leaning as far as possible in each direction without rotation and without touching the wall.
•Record the distance in centimeters covered in each direction.
•If the patient is unable to raise the affected arm, the distance covered by the acromion during leaning is recorded.
•First trial in each direction is a practice trial and should not included in the final result.
•A 15 second rest break should be allowed between trials.
•A yardstick and duck tap will be needed for the assessment.
•The yardstick should be affixed to the wall at the level of the patient’s acromion.
Notes
