Assessment Overview

Purpose: Manual muscle testing is used as a standardized measure in all populations by physical therapists to rate muscle strength and function of individuals. Manual muscle tests have different set-ups and procedures for each muscle in the body. The test requires the individual to move into a certain position and then hold that position against a clinician’s force. The clinician will grade the strength provided by the individual on a scale from 0 to 5.

Equipment: None

ICF Category: Impairment, Body Structure/Function

Assessment Handout

Assessment Psychometrics

Manual muscle testing assesses impairment level abilities according to the ICF model. This a performance-based outcome measure. Neuro PT EDGE recommends (3/4) the use of manual muscle testing in patients with acute, subacute, and chronic SCI. It is also recommended (3/4) for individuals with AIS A, B, C, and D SCIs. There is adequate research backing the use of MMTs in the population, so students should learn to administer these tests. MMTs can also be used in research.

Within the SCI population, manual muscle testing has been found to have excellent interrater reliability (ICC=0.94) when administered. Schwartz et al., found MMT and myometry to be significantly correlated on 22 of 24 measures taken. Myometry was found to detect increases in strength over time which were not reflected in changes in MMT scores, but MMT was still found to be a valid measure of strength in individuals with SCI.