Functional Movement Screen: Purpose, Benefits, and How It Works

What is the Purpose of a Functional Movement Screen?

A Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a systematic tool designed to evaluate fundamental movement patterns, identifying asymmetries, limitations, and pain that may predispose an individual to injury or hinder performance.

Introduction to Functional Movement Screens (FMS)

In the realm of exercise science and rehabilitation, understanding how an individual moves is paramount. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS), developed by Gray Cook and Lee Burton, is a standardized and systematic approach to assessing seven fundamental movement patterns. It's not a diagnostic tool for specific injuries, but rather a screening mechanism to uncover foundational movement deficiencies before they manifest as pain or performance plateaus. By observing how the body performs basic, integrated movements, the FMS provides valuable insights into an individual's movement competency.

The Core Purpose: Identifying Asymmetries and Limitations

The primary objective of a Functional Movement Screen is to pinpoint dysfunctional movement patterns, asymmetries, and areas of pain during specific tasks. This helps to:

• Uncover Movement Deficiencies: The screen highlights where an individual lacks proper mobility (range of motion) or stability (ability to control movement within that range). These deficiencies can be subtle and often go unnoticed during typical exercise routines.
• Detect Asymmetries: A key focus is identifying significant differences in movement quality between the left and right sides of the body. Such asymmetries can lead to compensatory patterns, increasing stress on joints and tissues over time.
• Identify Pain with Movement: The FMS is designed to stop if any movement elicits pain. This flags potential issues that require further medical evaluation, ensuring the safety of subsequent exercise programming.

Unpacking the "Why": Key Objectives of an FMS

Beyond simply identifying issues, the FMS serves several critical purposes for fitness professionals, athletes, and the general population:

• Reduce Injury Risk: Perhaps the most significant purpose is proactive injury prevention. By identifying poor movement patterns, the FMS helps predict an individual's susceptibility to musculoskeletal injuries. Addressing these dysfunctions before they lead to injury can save significant time, pain, and resources.
• Enhance Performance: Efficient movement is foundational to optimal physical performance, whether in sport or daily activities. Correcting movement limitations allows the body to generate force more effectively, move with greater economy, and reduce energy expenditure on compensatory actions, ultimately leading to improved athletic prowess and functional capacity.
• Guide Program Design: The FMS provides an objective, data-driven framework for individualized exercise programming. Instead of a generic approach, trainers can tailor corrective exercises to address specific mobility restrictions or stability deficits revealed by the screen. This ensures that training progresses safely and effectively, building a strong foundation before loading complex movements.
• Establish a Baseline: The screen offers a quantifiable baseline of movement quality. This allows fitness professionals and individuals to track progress over time, evaluate the effectiveness of corrective strategies, and make informed adjustments to training plans. It provides objective evidence of improvement in movement health.
• Promote Movement Competency: The FMS emphasizes the importance of mastering fundamental movement patterns before advancing to more complex or heavily loaded exercises. It shifts the focus from simply "doing exercises" to "moving well," fostering a deeper understanding of proper body mechanics and promoting long-term movement health.

The Seven Fundamental Movement Patterns

The FMS evaluates seven distinct movement patterns, each designed to challenge different aspects of mobility and stability:

• Deep Squat: Assesses bilateral, symmetrical, and functional mobility of the hips, knees, and ankles, as well as thoracic spine extension and core stability.
• Hurdle Step: Challenges single-leg stance stability and hip mobility of the moving leg, along with ankle and hip stability of the stance leg.
• In-Line Lunge: Evaluates dynamic stability, hip and ankle mobility, and quadriceps flexibility.
• Shoulder Mobility: Assesses bilateral shoulder range of motion, scapular stability, and thoracic spine extension.
• Active Straight Leg Raise: Measures active hamstring and gastroc-soleus flexibility while maintaining pelvic stability.
• Trunk Stability Push-Up: Tests reflex core stabilization in an anterior/posterior plane without compensation from the extremities.
• Rotary Stability: Assesses multi-planar core stability and motor control in a reciprocal pattern.

Each movement is scored, and these scores guide the prioritization of corrective strategies, following a hierarchical approach that addresses pain first, then fundamental mobility, and finally stability.

Limitations and Considerations

While a powerful tool, it's important to understand the FMS's limitations:

• Screen, Not Diagnosis: The FMS identifies dysfunction but does not diagnose the cause of that dysfunction. Further assessment by a qualified healthcare professional (e.g., physiotherapist, physician) may be necessary to determine the underlying etiology of pain or significant limitations.
• Context is Key: The FMS should be part of a broader assessment strategy, which may include a client's health history, specific goals, and other physical evaluations.
• Qualified Administration: The accuracy and utility of the FMS depend on proper administration and interpretation by a trained and certified professional.

Conclusion: Moving Towards Better Movement Health

The Functional Movement Screen serves as an indispensable tool in the arsenal of exercise science and kinesiology. Its purpose is clear: to systematically identify fundamental movement deficiencies, asymmetries, and pain, thereby empowering individuals and fitness professionals to proactively reduce injury risk, enhance performance, and build more intelligent, individualized exercise programs. By prioritizing movement quality as the foundation of all physical activity, the FMS guides us toward a more competent, resilient, and pain-free approach to movement health.