Function Movement Screen

Function Movement Screen

The function movement screen (FMS) and selective functional movement assessment (SFMA) are whole body movement evaluations used to find areas of dysfunction in the body and its movements.

The human body is a system of parts and processes that work together to move us through the world.  To be pain free, useful and healthy all of the parts and process must be able to cooperate, to move, bend, balance, stretch, stabilize and coordinate.

A car is also a system of parts and processes that work together to move us through the world.  These parts and processes are different but the idea is the same.  If the steering comes loose or the brakes seize or the tire goes flat or the frame is bent or the driver is inexperienced the car may still drive but the gas mileage decreases, the parts wear out faster, it makes weird noises (pops and cracks) and is more prone to accidents.

The purpose of the FMS and SFMA can be either to find dysfunction before something breaks or to help find out why something did break in the body.

In the car if the steering is loose we look to see if the tires are deflated or the suspension is worn out or if there is a bad leakage somewhere.

In the body we get a kink in the neck we look to see if the neck joints are locked or if the muscles are tight or if the thoracic spine is restricted or if the shoulder muscles are weak or all of the above.  This gives us a road map to help guide our treatment and exercise strategies.  Often we can find some seemingly unrelated problem which may be the hidden cause of the obvious pain or dysfunction.

Treatment then usually revolves around soft tissue work coupled with movement to help restore functional range of motion to muscles and joints; exercises to improve flexibility, strength, balance and coordination and finally movement skills and strategies to support ongoing health and function in everyday life.

Learn more at FunctionalMovement.com.

Book an Appointment

Share This Information