Hand-held dynamometry is a valuable tool used in physiotherapy to measure muscle strength objectively. It’s small, portable, and provides accurate, repeatable data that helps physiotherapists assess muscle performance, track progress, and guide treatment plans.

A hand-held dynamometer is a compact device that measures the amount of force a muscle can produce during contraction. The physiotherapist holds the device against a specific body part, such as your arm, leg or shoulder, whilst you push or pull against it and records your muscle strength in units of force, giving an objective measure of how strong the muscle is. 

How Do Physiotherapists Use Handheld Dynamometry to Assist Treatment?

In physiotherapist practice hand handheld dynamometry is used too:

• Assess baseline muscle strength before starting a rehabilitation program (e.g following injury or post-surgery) 

• To ensure your muscles are strong enough for your sport to prevent injury

• Compare sides of the body to detect a strength imbalance between sides, which could be contributing to pain or injury 

• To monitor the progress of a rehabilitation program by retesting muscles over time to assess change 

• To guide exercise prescription