Lihastest

Lihastest is a term used in Finnish medical and rehabilitation settings to describe evaluations of muscle strength and function. It encompasses bedside assessments as well as more formal measurements and is performed by physical therapists, physicians, or sports medicine clinicians. The aim is to determine whether a muscle or muscle group can generate adequate force for daily activities, movement, and sport, and to monitor changes over time.

Manual muscle testing (MMT) is the most common bedside method. In MMT, a clinician applies resistance to a patient’s voluntary contraction and assigns a strength grade, typically on a 0 to 5 scale, where 0 indicates no contraction and 5 denotes normal strength. For objective quantification, dynamometry uses devices such as hand-held dynamometers or isokinetic machines to measure peak force or torque.

Lihastest supports diagnosis and management of neuromuscular disorders, postoperative and injury rehabilitation, and performance optimization. It aids in setting baselines, tracking progression, and tailoring therapy. Results must be interpreted in the context of age, sex, hand dominance, and pain or fatigue, and are subject to observer variability. Standardized protocols and normative data improve reliability and comparability.