Functional Movement Evaluations

At Arizona Sports Chiropractic we specialize in prevention. We analyze a patient as a whole person, balanced between stability and mobility. Previous injury is the number one predictor for future injury. Preventative methods not only reduce the likelihood of future injury, but also the financial cost. We use preventative screening to find these imbalances, even in the absence of pain or symptoms. Screening creates perspective and testing provides measurement.

Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA)

The SFMA, or Selective Functional Movement Assessment, is a body movement diagnostic system for finding the cause of a patient’s pain through their overall mechanical function, rather than medical diagnosis. We can not only alleviate a patient’s symptoms, but also have long lasting positive outcomes for their level of function.

Functional Movement Screen (FMA)

The FMS, or Functional Movement Screen, uses movement patterns designed to provide observable performance of basic motor control, manipulative and stabilizing movements by placing an individual in extreme positions where weaknesses and imbalances become noticeable if appropriate mobility and motor control are not utilized. This is used for someone who is currently not experiencing pain or symptoms.

The FMS helps us identify dangerous movement patters so that they can be addressed. It also indicates an individual’s readiness to perform exercise so that realistic goals can be set and achieved with decreased risk of injury/reinjury. The FMS can be applied at any health or fitness level as well as provide a functional baseline to mark progress and provide a means to measure performance.

The FMS has proven to be an accurate predictor of future injury in the National Football League (NFL), USA Track and Field, and United States Military. The FMS is being used by many organizations as a gauge for training volumes and sports performance. The FMS holding up on the highest levels of human performance translates amazingly well to the rest of us who want to remain healthy during every day activities as well as exercise.

Y-Balance Tes (YBT)

The YBT, or Y-Balance Test is a thoroughly researched, yet easy way to test a person’s motor control as well as demonstrate functional symmetry. The YBT allows us to quarter the body and look at how the core and each extremity function under bodyweight loads.

Combined, these screens compose the Functional Movement System. We select the appropriate screens, based on each individual. We then enter the results of someone’s screen into our Move2Perform software, which has been used in the U.S. military and professional sports teams internationally. It is a movement analysis tool that identifies the risk of injury using an algorithm based on their peers and determines the level of deficit, and thus, the recommended action. We use this on individuals or teams in order to improve performance and durability, keeping weekend warriors and athletes alike healthy in their sport or activity. Movement is life!