Functional Movement Screen: How It Can Improve Your Performance

Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a tool used to screen individuals for dysfunctional or performance-limiting movement patterns and/or risk of injury. It aims to identify mobility and stability imbalances during seven fundamental movement patterns. These patterns place individuals in extreme positions where weaknesses become noticeable. Once these deficiencies have been identified, our physical therapists at Madison Physical Therapy in Brooklyn will create a program of corrective exercises with the intention of preventing musculoskeletal injuries.

What are the seven fundamental movement patterns, and how are they scored?

The movement patterns for the FMS are scored from zero to three points for 7 different exercises, equaling a total sum of zero to 21 points. Scores are determined by how the movements appear to our examiners at Madison Physical Therapy near Midwood:

  • Zero = pain occurs
  • >One = the individual is unable to perform the movement
  • Two = the individual is able to perform the movement but has to compensate for it in some way

  • Three = the individual performs the movement correctly. A score of ≤14 predicts the individual has a greater risk of injury compared to those who score >14 points.

The seven fundamental movement patterns include:

  1. Deep Squat
  2. Hurdle Step
  3. In-line Lunge
  4. Shoulder Mobility
  5. Active Straight-leg Raise
  6. Rotary Stability
  7. Trunk Stability Push-up

How can an FMS improve strength and conditioning?

Top-level experts, coaches, and professionals advocate for perfecting the fundamentals before anything else. We all want to see progress, but we can’t move onto the next step until we master these fundamental movement patterns. When it comes to any form of exercise, it’s crucial to minimize the risk for injury; this comes before goals like weight loss and performance enhancement. Once you get hurt, those goals won’t matter anymore. People often put exercise and performance before dysfunctional movement, which can cause injuries and even impair performance. We need to understand that these fundamental movement patterns are the foundation for performance and fitness, thus why an FMS will improve and aid during strength and conditioning by identifying the weak links and correcting them.

Everyone is encouraged to take an FMS. Contact Madison Physical Therapy in Brooklyn and schedule your FMS so you can reduce your risk of a musculoskeletal injury today.