passive mobility exercise

An exercise performed on a subject by a partner who exerts an external force not only to produce a passive movement, but also to increase the range of movement of a joint. The partner presses the joint into its end-position (i.e. end of range), while the subject's muscles that normally carry out the movements are completely relaxed. There is a danger of overextension beyond the range of movement and damage to the joint if the exercise is not carried out carefully.