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Movement and daily function

Contracture

A joint that has become stuck in one position because it has not been moved through its full range.

What it means

When a limb is not moved through its full range for a long time, the tissue around the joint shortens. The joint then stops going as far as it used to, which makes washing, dressing and positioning harder.

Why you might hear it

  • It is the reason range of movement is talked about at all.
  • A physiotherapist may use the word when explaining stretches.

People who may help

Where Compass goes into this

About this explanation

These are plain explanations of words you may come across, not advice about your own situation. Where a word matters to a decision, the question pages go into it properly, and your own team is the place to take it.