What is the Functional Movement Screening?
This screening is a movement-based assessment that aims to identify functional deficits relating to mobility, stability and body position awareness. These deficits adversely affect movement competency and increase your risk of injury during sports, exercise and general physical activity. For those participating in sports activities, whether you’re a weekend warrior or an elite athlete, these deficits also put you at a greater likelihood for suboptimal performance. When these weaknesses are identified and then addressed correctly, the likelihood of injury can be reduced, and athletic performance can be optimised.
The types of risk that are assessed include –
- Muscle imbalance
- Poor core stability activation
- Poor flexibility
- Muscle weakness
- Poor balance and co-ordination
- Postural abnormalities
Who is the Functional Movement Screening for?
Those participating in sports and exercise –
The tests in the Functional Movement Screening program can be used to focus on these risk factors when the therapist is prescribing an exercise program. We will assess the injured athlete’s rehabilitation progress and ensure they are ready to return to sport.
Those with existing sports or exercise-related injuries –
The tests in the Functional Movement Screening program can be used to focus on these risk factors when the therapist is prescribing an exercise program. We will assess the injured athlete’s rehabilitation progress and ensure they are ready to return to sport.
Those experiencing pain or issues with general movement and physical activity –
If you experience pain, discomfort or dysfunction with general physical activities such as gardening, playing with children or grandchildren, general walking, etc. our Functional Movement Screening program can assist you in finding why this is happening and address these issues.
What to expect –
Our Functional Movement Screening involves a functional movement assessment of:
- Strength
- Mobility
- Flexibility
- Stability
- Co-ordination and balance
As part of the screening you will undertake 8 tasks. You will be given three opportunities to carry out each task, with feedback to help you improve your performance on subsequent attempts. You will then be graded on your current ability to perform each exercise – whether you can successfully perform on the first attempt, perform it correctly or with some compromise, are unable to complete the movement or if you experience pain during the movement.
After the screening, exercise prescription specific to the findings may be recommended and the screening results can be used to evaluate your response to your exercise program.
Here at Everton Park Sports & Spinal Physiotherapy, we believe in treating the underlying cause of the problem. This ensures that we resolve your symptoms satisfactorily and reduce the risk of re-injury.
