The Importance of a Good Assessment.

Functional Movement Screen - What it is and why?

Did you know that many aches and pains from musculoskeletal conditions or certain movements can be reduced or prevented by targeting risk factors and addressing movement patterns? 

Unfortunately, many adults have something that ‘isn't quite right’ with their body or the way they are moving and they still do nothing about it!


They have risk factors such as poor balance, ankle mobility, movement dysfunction, pain with movement and movement asymmetries. These risk factors can then lead to aches and pains and people begin to  accept the fact that as they go about their daily lives they will no longer be able to do the things they used to do… and this is their new ‘normal’. 

Thankfully there is something that you can do about it and this doesn't have to be your new ‘normal’!  


Through finding out what your risk factors and concerns are and coming up with a suitable plan to address them you can get back to doing the things you previously enjoyed! 

That’s all well and good right? Simple and makes sense!


However, how do we know what these risk factors are?


The way to identify these risk factors is through a detailed and in depth assessment.


As no two people are built, behave and move in the same manner this means we can’t take a ‘cookie cutter’ approach. We need to look at everyone as an individual. For example, what might be causing pain and discomfort in the knee for one person, might be totally different as to why another person is experiencing similar pain in their knee.


This is why going through a detailed and in depth assessment of each individual is extremely important. There can be lots of different aspects affecting the way someone moves and what might be causing them pain and discomfort. A typical assessment generally starts with getting an understanding of your background information, history and what your goals are.


Once this information has been gathered you will then run through some physical assessments. There are millions of different assessments and they will be chosen based on what your goals and concerns are. They are used to assess where you are currently, what you are capable of and areas that may need addressing. They give valuable information and data that can be used to track progress or identify what the problem might be. 

One assessment that we can conduct is what we call a ‘Functional movement Screen’ or ‘FMS’ for short. The FMS is an assessment tool comprising seven movements that can be used to capture fundamental movements, motor control within movement patterns, and the ability to complete basic movements. These fundamental movements are ones that we use through everyday life and out on the sporting field. The movements require a balance of mobility and stability and will determine the greatest areas of movement deficiency where weaknesses, imbalances, asymmetries and limitations become noticeable. The outcome of these assessments will give valuable answers as to what your areas of improvement are. 

Once these answers are gathered we can then come up with a plan of action and get to work on achieving your goals!! The beauty of the FMS is that it is designed for all stages of life. You can be in your younger years looking to improve your performance on the sporting field and a niggle in your hip is preventing your training… Or maybe you have retired and are wanting to play more with the grandchildren but your knee is stopping you from getting on the ground. Either way, the FMS can help identify these risk factors and get you to where you want to be. 


Now if you’ve gotten this far into the article and you are still reading something here has caught your interest! If an assessment such as the ‘FMS’ is something that is of interest to you just give us a call on 08 8682 6665 to arrange a consultation with one of our Exercise Physiologists or Physiotherapists to book in for an assessment.