MMT is typically performed with the patient in a specific position that isolates the muscle group being tested. The nurse or examiner then applies resistance against the patient's muscle contraction. The muscle strength is graded on a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 indicates no muscle activation and 5 indicates normal strength.
Grade 0: No muscle contraction detected. Grade 1: Trace contraction, but no movement. Grade 2: Movement with gravity eliminated. Grade 3: Movement against gravity, but not against additional resistance. Grade 4: Movement against some resistance, but less than normal strength. Grade 5: Normal strength, full resistance.
