How well do you move? Are there any imbalances and asymmetries in your movement that may cause you to get injured? Do you have enough stability to truly own your movement? Do you have adequate enough mobility to perform your daily tasks and sport specific activity?
The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is helpful in answering these questions and many many more. The Functional Movement Screen is a top-tier clinical tool in early detection of movement dysfunction for functional rehabilitation. It includes a grading system for documenting movement patterns which is key for measuring and understanding your progression. By screening these movement patterns, the Functional Movement Screen efficiently spots functional limitations and asymmetries. The FMS provides an early detection system that is designed to not only locate dysfunction and asymmetries, but most importantly, detect probable pain points early. Having a Functional Movement Screen performed prior to beginning a training program guides you and serves as a road map of what to do next. It’s the first step in reducing the likelihood of injury while training and improving athletic performance.
The Functional Movement Screen provides a simple to understand assessment of fundamental movement patterns and its impact on your body. This is important and of value as poor functional movement capabilities can often be indicative of an increased risk for non-contact musculoskeletal injury. The Functional Movement Screen is a simple yet effective test that categorizes people as “at risk for injury” or “not at risk for injury” through the use of seven comprehensive movement tests that require a balance of mobility, stability and strength.
The seven movement tasks asked to perform are:
- Deep Squat Movement Pattern
- Hurdle Step Movement Pattern
- Inline Lunge Movement Pattern
- Shoulder Mobility Movement Pattern
- Active Straight Leg Raise Movement Pattern
- Trunk Stability Push Up Movement Pattern
- Rotary Stability Movement Pattern
The Functional Movement Screen can help identify asymmetries and limitations that may contribute to injuries before they occur by analyzing these 7 movements. If you do nothing to fix unhealthy issues in these patterns, there’s a higher likelihood that in time they will catch up to you.
What sets the Functional Movement Screen apart from other screenings is its focus on dynamic movement. It lets us know how the brain is controlling the body and how the joints and muscles are moving. In turn this information can be used to make sound training decisions and guide exercise prescription.
