Functional Movement Screen- 7 Screens and 3 Clearing Tests

Below you will find the 7 Screening tests of the Functional Movement Screen. There are some side notes before each and the correctives for each one will be linked to once I shoot them.

This video below is a quick video of one of our Improvement Warrior's going through her screen:

You also might want to check out this blog post:

Why We Screen You

1. Deep Squat

The deep squat is one of our most primal movement patterns. The others are lunging, twisting, bending, throwing, kicking, and gait.

If you watch a baby stand up, they have perfect squatting form. But as we grow up we don't use the pattern like we should. If you don't use it you will lose it. And that is what the squat is for.

Please understand if your coach thinks that achievement of the deep squat cannot be reached a simple toe touch will be used instead.

The deep squat with arms overhead is a fully coordinated movement, demonstrating total body mechanics and neuromuscular control when performed properly. We use it to test bilateral, symmetrical, functional mobility and stability of the hips, knees, and ankles. The dowel rod overhead helps to test symmetrical mobility and stability of the shoulders, scapular region and thoracic spine.

Scoring

3- Upper torso is parallel with tibia (shin) or toward vertical
– Femur is below horizontal (hips below knees)
-Knees aligned over feet
-Dowel aligned over feet

2- Feet positioning on FMS kit
-Same criteria as 3

1- Tibia and upper torso are not parallel
-Femur is not below horizontal
-Knees and Dowel are not aligned over feet

0- Any pain while doing it

 

Corrective Exercises for Deep Squat

2. Hurdle Step

This screen will help expose any compensation or asymmetry in your stepping ability.

This movement requires proper coordination and stability of the hips, moving one at a time, while the core and pelvis must maintain alignment and stability themselves.

We want to avoid any excessive upper body movement while using a basic stepping pattern.

No single part of your body is being tested. Just like in all the tests. That is how we move.

Scoring

3- Hips, knees, and ankles remain aligned in sagittal plane
– Minimal to no movement is noted in lumbar spine
-Dowel and hurdle reamin parallel

2- Alignment is lost between hips, knees, and ankles
-Movement is noted in lumbar spine
-Dowel and hurdle do not remain parallel

1- Contact between foot and hurdle is made
– Loss of balance is noted

0- Any pain is felt during the test

Corrective Exercises for Hurdle Step

3. In-Line Lunge

Another one of our primal movement patterns.

This is a component of the deceleration movements and direction changes produced in exercise, activity and sport.

This movement challenges the hips, knees, ankles and foot mobility and stability all at the same time of challenging the flexibility of some of the upper body muscles.

Some reasons you might not be able to complete this test or perform it well:

-Ankle, knee, hip mobility

-Balance

-Thoracic Spine (upper back) mobility

Scoring-

3- Dowel contact maintained
– Dowel remains vertical
– No torso movement noted
-Dowel and feet remain in sagittal plane
-Knee touches board behind heel of front foot.

2- Dowel contact not maintained
-Dowel does not stay vertical
-Movement in torso
-Dowel and feet do not stay in sagittal plane
-Knee does not touch behind heel of front foot

1- Loss of balance noted
-Inability to complete movement pattern

0- Pain

Corrective Exercises for In-Line Lunge

4. Shoulder Mobility

One of our highest ranked screens.

This screen is testing your ability to internally rotate and adduction of one arm and flexion and externally rotate and abduction in the other.

Some reasons why you may not be able to complete or perform well and why it is so important to improve your score:

-Scapular (shoulder baldes) stability depends on thoracic (upper back) mobility. This is our #1 focus at fixing
-Rounding of the shoulders
-Scapulothoratic dysfunction may be present

At the end of this test you are also taking through our first clearing test for pain.

Scoring-

3- Fists within one hands length

2- Fists within 1.5 hands length

1- Fists are not within 1.5 fists length

0- Pain in screen or clearing test

Corrective Exercises for Shoulder Mobility

5. Active Strait Leg Raise

This looks like a simple test but looks are decieiving and this is 2nd in line with our correctives behind shoulder mobiltiy.

This test identifies active mobility of the lifted leg while keeping continuous core stability and the available hip extension limit of the down leg.

Basically it is testing the ability to separate the two legs in an unloaded position.

It also is challenging your hamstring and gastric-soleus (calves) flexibility while maintaining a stable pelvis.

Scoring-

3- Vertical line of the malleolus (ankle bone) resides between mid-thigh and ASIS (hip bone)
-The non-moving limb remains neutral position

2- Vertical line of the malleolus resides between mid-thigh and joint line
-The non-moving limb remains neutral position

1- Vertical line of the malleolus resides below the joint line
-The non-moving limb remains neutral position

0- Pain

Corrective Exercises for Active Strait Leg Raise

6. Trunk Stability Push Up

Got to love pushups!

This screen is not measuring your upper body strength. It is testing your reflex core stabilization through movement. This is testing your ability to stabilze the spine during a symmetrical pushing movement.

Reasons you may not be able to perform

– Poor core strength
-Poor upper body strength
-Poor scapular stability

A clearing exam is also administered at the end of this test.

Scoring- Different scoring points for men and women

3-Men- Performed rep with thumbs aligned with temples
-Women- Performed rep with thumbs aligned with the chin
-the body lifts as a unit with no lag in the spine

2-Men- performed rep with thumbs aligned with chin
-Women- performed rep with thumbs aligned with clavicle
-body lifts as one unit with no lag in spine

1-Unable to perform rep as listed in #2

0- Pain

Corrective Exercises for Trunk Stability Push Up

7. Rotary Stability

This screen is observing your reflex stabilization and weight shifting and coordination efforts of your mobility and stability in a basic climbing pattern.

There is also a clearing test at the end of this screen.

Scoring-

3-Performs a correct unilateral (same side) repetition
-Unilateral limbs remain over the board

2- Performs a correct diagonal repetition
-The diagonal knee and elbow meet over the board

1- Inability to perform a diagonal rep.

0- Pain

Corrective Exercises for Rotary Stability