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The assessment of muscle power is a key part of a neurological examination of the upper or lower limbs. As a result, it is important to familiarise yourself with the Medical Research Council’s scale (MRC scale) of muscle power. The MRC scale of muscle strength uses a score of 0 to 5 to grade the power of a particular muscle group in relation to the movement of a single joint.
We have included the MRC scale below in several formats, to make it as accessible as possible:
MRC Muscle Power Scale
| Score | Description |
| 0 | No contraction |
| 1 | Flicker or trace of contraction |
| 2 | Active movement, with gravity eliminated |
| 3 | Active movement against gravity |
| 4 | Active movement against gravity and resistance |
| 5 | Normal power |
References
- Used with the permission of the Medical Research Council. Open Government Licence.
