Being an athlete means keeping your health in check and ensuring you meet your training goals at all times. Remember that getting hurt during training regimens may require you to place restrictions on your program and delay improvements towards your goals. Because of this, it’s important to identify potential risks through injury prevention.
Some factors that make you prone to an injury are a previous injury, asymmetry, motor control deficit, and poor training choices. That being said, using a system of screening and assessment that identifies them is important before undergoing a training program. Thankfully, a movement screen makes it possible to determine potential problems before they occur. This will minimize future risks and maximize the return on your efforts.
What Is a Movement Screen?
A movement screen is a generalized body scan that identifies asymmetries that cause functional movement deficiencies. It works by placing you in extreme positions that show your imbalances and weaknesses to assess the performance of your basic locomotor, manipulative, and stabilising movements. Afterwards, it locates imbalances in stability and mobility during fundamental movement patterns.
This tool was developed to help screen athletes for risk of injury or a performance-limiting or dysfunctional movement pattern. Once your movement deficiencies have been identified, you will have to undergo a program of corrective exercises specifically developed for you to prevent musculoskeletal injuries.
How Does a Movement Screen Work?
The movement screen looks at seven fundamental movement patterns: deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, active straight leg raise, trunk stability push up, and rotary stability. Three clearing tests are also required to determine the balance of mobility and stability.
What Are the Basic Outcomes?
Each movement pattern is graded with 3 for “performs correctly”, 2 for “performs with compensation”, 1 for “cannot perform”, and 0 for “pain present”. To get a desirable score, you need at least 15 points with the healthiest score being 21. If you score anything below 13, you may be at a considerably higher risk for injuries.
You might get acceptable results after getting scanned, which means you are safe to proceed with your usual training program or physical activities. However, getting unacceptable results may require you to undergo a corrective strategy before advancing. If you have a decent score but you still feel pain or discomfort with movement, you might be asked to get the healthcare you need before performing your usual routine.
Note that just because you have good movement patterns does not mean you won’t get hurt during exercise or workouts. The results of the movement screen just suggests that the risk is much less than a dysfunctional movement pattern. On the other hand, a low score also does not necessarily exclude you from training. It just means that the exercise program during the test is not directed towards using the areas where limitation was found.
Conclusion
In the world of professional sports, an injury can negatively affect your movement capacity. Since it can lead to missed practices and games, it can also result in lost opportunities and even cause the end of your career. These are very possible scenarios that can happen to you, which is why you must prioritize injury prevention through a movement screen. So get your body scanned by booking an appointment.
Minimize the risk of an injury through our health and fitness check in the form of a movement screen. At Invigor Health, our state-of-the-art body analysis tool locates weakness, movement control dysfunction, and other abnormalities for injury prevention. We also offer physiotherapy and running analysis to improve your athletic performance. Contact us for a consultation!
