Glossary of Terms

Flexion - bending or folding. Flexor muscles usually curl the body forward towards the feotal position or curl the toes or fingers.

Extension - stretching out. Extensor muscles stretch the body, eg. bending backwards with arms outstretched. Opposite to flexion.

Rotation - turning. A movement around the axis of a bone.

Abduction - taking or drawing away. A sideways movement by one muscle moving away from another. eg. lifting a limb away from the body.

Adduction - drawing inward. A sideways movement opposite to abduction.