Anterior
front of body
Posterior
back of body
Superior
higher on body
Inferior
Lower on body
Medial
closer to body
Lateral
further from body
Proximal
closer to where the limb is attached to body
Distal
further from where the limb is attached to body
Planes and Axis
are perpendicular to each other and movements about an axis must happen within a plane
Sagittal Plane
divides body into left and right
Frontal Axis
runs horizontally left to right. Ex flexion and extension - walking, squatting
Frontal Plane
divides body into front and back
Sagittal Axis
runs horizontally front to back Ex. Adduction/abduction - jumping jacks, moving arm up and down
Transverse plane
divides body into top and bottom
Vertical Axis
Runs vertically up and down Ex. Rotations like spinning, twisting
Flexion
bending a joint to decrease angle
Extension
straightening a joint to increase angle
Abduction
move body part to the side AWAY from body (ex. lift arm up to side)
Adduction
move body part TOWARDS/close to the body
Plantar Flexion
point your toes
Dorsiflexion
bring toes towards shin (opposite of pointing them)
Supination
rotate palms to face up
Pronation
rotate palms to face down
Inversion
standing on outer edge of foot
Eversion
standing on inner edge of foot
External Rotation
turn body part AWAY from midline
Internal Rotation
turn a body part IN towards midline
Elevation
movement in an upwards direction
Depression
movement in a downwards direction
Circumlocution
moving/twisting/rotating a body part in a circle