Screening Movement.

Our bodies are beautiful mechanisms of movement. Screening movement is a crucial step in creating effective prehab/rehab, and or performance enhancement programs. It involves assessing movement patterns, joint mobility, stability, and overall functional capabilities (Jump Forward: “Understanding Your Current Physiological Capacity”). This process provides valuable insights into the person's physical condition, identifies at risk areas, and guides the design of tailored interventions.

More reasons why screening movement is important:

0. Identifying Dysfunctions:

Movement screenings help identify any movement dysfunctions, imbalances, or asymmetries in an individual's body mechanics. Lets’s not forget; no one moves perfectly. However, you are likely here on this webpage to solve or improve your movement quality. If the following are present: pain, injury, or suboptimal performance; your movement quality may be subsiding. By pinpointing limitations early, appropriate interventions can be designed to address them. This is number 0 because; though it is important to understand our limitations, we must not give them great value right at first.

1. Identifying your strengths!

When you perform a movement screen some planes of motion are found to be easy or not so painful. These findings are the BREAD and BUTTER of exercise prescription. Psychologist David McClelland pioneered motivational thinking, developing achievement-based motivational theory and models. This is the approach I take with my clients. Motivating a person through their own success that came on their own accord is the most viable way to maintain improvement and or success over time. Thus finding our STRENGTHS will create an achievement based program that will create a dependable sense of motivation and a quick boost in confidence in movement.

2. Individualizing Your Approach:

We all have unique anatomical structures, movement patterns, and previous injury histories. A one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to yield optimal results. By assessing movement patterns and understanding mechanics, you can tailor programs for your specific needs and challenges.

3. Preventing Injury:

Most clinicans would say that dysfunctional movement patterns can increase the risk of injury. If this were true, then professional athletes would be labelled with “poor mechanics” and at an extremely high risk for injury. Which is not the case.

If you can see here, there is an immense range of Internal rotation of the hip, knee valgus, and foot inversion, with a perspective of injury risk being based on simple mechanics while standing: most functional movements would put you “at risk” for injury. Thus it truly cannot represent injury risk when the musculoskeletal system is in motion.

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So why then do these “poor mechanics” under load that are being tasked with power output not experience injury? It is only when the movement pattern does not possess stability under load injury is at risk. By detecting these patterns during a functional movement screen, you can implement corrective exercises that target at risk areas, improve joint stability under load, and promote optimal biomechanics. Ensuring our bodies possess the capacity to prevent against injury must begin with assessment. (Jump Forward: An inside look at why pain is our friend”).

4. Enhancing Performance:

Efficient movement patterns are essential for optimal performance, whether in sports or everyday activities. We are all athletes, and life is our sport. By identifying and addressing relevant movement restrictions or imbalances, we can enhance our movement efficiency, power, and overall performance capabilities.

5. Targeted Interventions:

Movement screenings guide the selection of exercises and interventions that directly address an individual's limitations. This focused approach accelerates progress and ensures that efforts are directed toward improving areas that truly need attention.

6. Baseline and Progress Monitoring:

Movement screenings provide a baseline assessment of an individual's movement quality. This baseline can be used to track progress over time and objectively measure improvements. Monitoring progress helps trainers and therapists adjust programs as needed and allows clients to see tangible results.

9. Long-Term Health:

Addressing movement dysfunctions not only improves immediate performance but also contributes to long-term joint health and overall functional capacity. Proper movement mechanics can delay the onset of degenerative conditions and help maintain quality of life as individuals age.

Screening movement is essential for creating effective Prehab/Rehab and performance enhancement programs because it ensures that programs are tailored to our own individual needs. Which ultimately leads to quicker, more successful outcomes.