Are you at risk? What’s your number?
If you are an athlete looking for a competitive edge or someone planning to get into a more strenuous exercise regime, a Functional Movement Screen (FMS) can reduce your chances of injury and allow you to reach your physical potential.
The FMS is a ranking and grading system that consists of seven tests designed to identify functional limitations and asymmetries in our bodies that may lead to poor functional performance and injury. The FMS generates the Functional Movement Screen Score out of 21 (maximum score of 3 for each of the seven tests), which is used to target problems, track progress, and communicate risk of injury. This scoring system is directly linked to the most beneficial exercises to correct movement inefficiencies and restore mechanically sound movement patterns. The tests have been developed by physiotherapists and have been used to screen athletes of all levels, including the NHL, NFL and NBA. The FMS has been recently added to the NHL scouting combine as an integral portion of the screening tests as this helps organizations determine an athlete’s relative risk of injury.
Other medical professionals, like doctors and dentists perform annual screening tests (i.e. a physical, or teeth cleaning) in order to identify any potential risks to your current and future health. Think of the FMS is a ‘regularly scheduled check up’ for your body, specifically, a check up to see how well your body can move as a unit. Being able to move well in functional movements like squatting and lunging are imperative to peak physical performance and injury prevention. By performing regularly scheduled movement checks, you often can identify any “weak links” before any significant damage is done.
At ReActive Physiotherapy, our objective it to help your body move better so that you can perform at your best. Research has suggested that you are more at risk of injury if your FMS score is 14 or below. Are you at risk of injury? What is your score?