Functional reach

The furthest distance in front of the body that a person, standing in a fixed position with arms fully extended, can touch without falling. The functional reach test, as originally devised by Duncan et al, is a measure of frailty in addition to an assessment of balance, flexibility, and fall risk. Norms for this test are: reach < 6 inches = high risk of falls/frailty; reach > 6 inches and < 10 inches = moderate risk for falls/frailty; reach > 10 inches = low risk for falls/frailty. A variation of the test, called the multidimensional reach test, assesses a subject’s ability to reach both forward and side-to-side.


 


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