How To Use The Goniometer - Range of Motion

Steps to Using a Goniometer

Place the goniometer over the fulcrum of the joint. This will vary depending on which joint you are measuring. Place the stationary arm of the goniometer along the stationary line of the body and the movable arm on the moving part of the body.
2 Ask your patient to move the joint in the desired direction. Have the patient move to his/her fullest extent of motion, following the movement with the movable arm of the goniometer. Make sure the stationary arm stays straight.
3 Stabilize the stationary portion of the body. This is the part of the body that is proximal (closer to the midline of the body) to the joint you are testing. It is important that the patient does not move his body while moving the joint; this step isolates the joint movement for a more accurate measurement.
4 Look at the reading on the goniometer before removing it from the patient's body. Make sure that you take an accurate reading of the degree of motion on the goniometer, and that you consistently use the same stationary and movable landmarks on the body when measuring, to ensure consistency. Be sure to record the range of motion for the joint.