Our therapists and clinicians have gone through additional training to provide comprehensive treatment for our patients to help them stay healthy for life. Dr. Daniel Danieley specializes in advancing functional movement screening to recommend individual exercises. These recommendations are made by identifying areas that pose a high risk of injury or current weaknesses in the muscles and joints. By identifying these areas, we can help you improve movement patterns and performance levels.
How Does Functional Movement Screens Work?
The functional movement screen, also known as FMS, helps identify areas of high risk by testing seven different movement patterns. These patterns are then scored according to the symmetry, mobility, and stability that the person demonstrates. These movement patterns include:
- Deep Squat: The deep squat challenges areas of neuromuscular control and total body mechanics. It is focused on measuring the stability of the hips, shoulders, thoracic spine, and scapular regions.
- Hurdle Step: The hurdle step focuses on the body’s locomotion and acceleration, testing the stability and control of the hips, knees, and ankles.
- Inline Lunge: Inline lunges place stress on areas of the upper extremities while performing lateral movements along the lower extremities—this exercise tests counterbalance and challenges hip, knee, ankle, and foot mobility.
- Shoulder Mobility: The shoulder mobility tests the thoracic and scapular regions, the rib cage, and the shoulders to observe bilateral movements and range of motion.
- Active Straight-Leg Raise: Through this test, patients are tested on their ability to separate the lower extremities in an unloaded position, challenging stability throughout the pelvis and core.
- Trunk Stability Push Up: The trunk stability push-up isn’t a test of upper body strength but rather tests the stability of the spine and hips in a symmetrical motion.
- Rotary Stability: Lastly, rotary stability tests neuromuscular coordination and energy transfer to the torso, as a movement in this position demonstrates reflex stabilization and weight shifting throughout the exercise.
FMS is meant to evaluate patients with no current pain complaints or musculoskeletal injuries and is intended as a preventative method for preventing injury and improving movement performance in the process. These movement patterns are necessary for good function and can help patients with weaknesses or imbalances and improve them.
How Can FMS Help You
As a screening tool, FMS is used for patients without injury and for those interested in preventing future injuries. For athletes, the FMS can be used to help improve their performance and incorporate these areas of weakness or malfunction into physical therapy treatment. Some coaches and athlete trainers are required to have this screening for their athletes as a pre-season screen and can be used to discover underlying deficits in athletic performance.
The goal of FMS screenings is to improve your body’s performance and help prevent future injuries. For more information about FMS screening sessions and other treatment options, visit Kinetic Spine & Sports for a consultation today.
