What is a Dynamometer and Why Do We Use It?

A dynamometer is an instrument used to take precise measurements of pressure and resistance.  We incorporate this instrument into Medical Exercise Therapy to accurately and consistently quantify a patient's performance.

What is a Dynamometer and Why Do We Use It?

A dynamometer is an instrument used to take precise measurements of pressure and resistance.  We incorporate this instrument into Medical Exercise Therapy to accurately and consistently quantify a patient's performance.

Why all therapists should use a dynamometer in their practice

You would never hire a carpenter to build your house if he told you he never uses a tape measure.  Without using a dynamometer to measure the starting resistance of an exercise, therapists are only able to approximate a patient's performance.  This introduces a high degree of variation in the effectiveness of therapy and often sub-optimizes patient outcomes.

 

By using a standardized system of measuring techniques and measuring devices, MET therapists can precisely quantify patient performance and target improvements against established performance benchmarks measured in healthy patients.

 

On average, MET therapists using a hand-held dynamometer will achieve a minimum of 30% better performance, as compared to therapists using only Manual Muscle Testing (MMT)

Why all therapists should use a dynamometer in their practice

You would never hire a carpenter to build your house if he told you he never uses a tape measure.  Without using a dynamometer to measure the starting resistance of an exercise, therapists are only able to approximate a patient's performance.  This introduces a high degree of variation in the effectiveness of therapy and often sub-optimizes patient outcomes.

 

By using a standardized system of measuring techniques and measuring devices, MET therapists can precisely quantify patient performance and target improvements against established performance benchmarks measured in healthy patients.

 

On average, MET therapists using a hand-held dynamometer will achieve a minimum of 30% better performance, as compared to therapists using only Manual Muscle Testing (MMT)

How hand-held dynamometry improves reimbursement

In today's healthcare environment, it is imperative to demonstrate efficacy of treatment interventions to clients, providers, and third-party payers.  Hand-Held Dynamometry provides quantitative data on a continuous scale and should be used to more precisely diagnose and document neuro-muscular impairments.

 

Hand-Held Dynamometry is also more sensitive, compared to manual muscle testing (MMT), in demonstrating change over time after therapeutic interventions

Hand-held dynamometry
Hand-held dynamometry - Guidelines for Daily Clinical Practice

How MET is setting the standard for the application of Hand-Held Dynamometry

The founders of MET, Frank Aerts and Becky Alwood, have developed a framework for utilization of dynamometry in daily clinical practice.

 

They've built that framework into a simple and straightforward reference guide that serves as the industry standard for Hand-Held Dynamometry.

The guide is divided into three categories of dynamometric measurements:

Movement Bias

Hand-Held Dynamometry

Muscle Bias

Hand-Held Dynamometry

Exercise Bias

Hand-Held Dynamometry

Used to quantify muscle force produced during cardinal movements. Instrument placement, client and provider postures and positions are chosen to assure that measurements are of highest reliability and able to be performed by most of the population and in all clinical settings.

Movement bias tests are recommended for all clients as part of a standard clinical examination and results should be documented in the medical chart.

Used for diagnostic purposes.  A muscle’s ability to generate force is assessed in a position of relative isolation from its synergists.

 

Muscle bias tests are performed with the client in upright postures when possible. Muscle bias tests can detect subtle weaknesses within the kinetic chain. Side to side comparisons are made and are part of a precise biomechanical clinical examination.

Used to help determine the precise dose of a therapeutic exercise. The result of an isometric dynamometry test determines the initial test dose for a clinical fatigue test.

 

The result of the clinical fatigue test will then determine the therapeutic exercise dose. Each dynamometric test is performed in the posture and position of the selected exercise.

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How hand-held dynamometry improves reimbursement

Hand-held dynamometry

In today's healthcare environment, it is imperative to demonstrate efficacy of treatment interventions to clients, providers, and third-party payers.  Hand-Held Dynamometry provides quantitative data on a continuous scale and should be used to more precisely diagnose and document neuro-muscular impairments.

 

Hand-Held Dynamometry is also more sensitive, compared to manual muscle testing (MMT), in demonstrating change over time after therapeutic interventions

How MET is setting the standard for the application of Hand-Held Dynamometry

Hand-held dynamometry - Guidelines for Daily Clinical Practice

The founders of MET, Frank Aerts and Becky Alwood, have developed a framework for utilization of dynamometry in daily clinical practice.

 

They've built that framework into a simple and straightforward reference guide that serves as the industry standard for Hand-Held Dynamometry.

The guide is divided into three categories of dynamometric measurements:

Movement Bias

Hand-Held Dynamometry

Used to quantify muscle force produced during cardinal movements. Instrument placement, client and provider postures and positions are chosen to assure that measurements are of highest reliability and able to be performed by most of the population and in all clinical settings.

Movement bias tests are recommended for all clients as part of a standard clinical examination and results should be documented in the medical chart.

Muscle Bias

Hand-Held Dynamometry

Used for diagnostic purposes.  A muscle’s ability to generate force is assessed in a position of relative isolation from its synergists.

 

Muscle bias tests are performed with the client in upright postures when possible. Muscle bias tests can detect subtle weaknesses within the kinetic chain. Side to side comparisons are made and are part of a precise biomechanical clinical examination.

Exercise Bias

Hand-Held Dynamometry

Used to help determine the precise dose of a therapeutic exercise. The result of an isometric dynamometry test determines the initial test dose for a clinical fatigue test.

 

The result of the clinical fatigue test will then determine the therapeutic exercise dose. Each dynamometric test is performed in the posture and position of the selected exercise.

Get Your Copy Today!