The Functional Movement Screen and The Madness of March

We are now in the full swing of March Madness as evidence of #2 Seed Arizona and #4 Seed Virginia losing on the first day of the tournament. The madness of March makes us at Physical Therapy Partners think about how the Spring is a time of year when a lot of sports injuries can occur. In order to help prevent sports injuries we use the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) with athletes to evaluate 7 fundamental movement patterns.

The screen is designed to place an individual in positions where movement deficits become noticeable if appropriate stability and mobility are not used. Even though individuals are performing a sport at a high level, it has been observed that many of these same individuals are limited in fundamental movement. This leads to the use of compensatory movements in order to achieve or maintain the level of performance needed for the activity. The use of compensation during movement will lead to poor biomechanics which limits gains in performance and reduces the body’s ability to remain adaptable and durable against the demands of being involved in the sport.

Recently some of our physical therapists performed the Functional Movement Screen with athletes from Leesville High School. If you are dealing with any sports-related pain or injuries, such as a muscle strain or sprained ligament, feel free to contact our team of physical therapists today!