The Functional Movement Screen is a tool developed by Cook and colleagues in 1997 to help clinicians and healthcare professions screen individuals for risk of injury and/or a dysfunctional or performance-limiting movement pattern. It’s a tool used to identify asymmetries which result in functional movement deficiencies. The Functional Movement Screen aims to identify imbalances in mobility and stability during seven fundamental movement patterns. These movement patterns are designed to provide observable performance of basic locomotor, manipulative, and stabilizing movements by placing an individual in extreme positions where weaknesses and imbalances become noticeable if appropriate mobility and motor control is not utilized. Once these deficiencies have been identified through the Functional Movement Screen,,our therapists develop a treatment program of corrective exercises with the goal of preventing musculoskeletal injuries.
The Functional Movement Screen consists of seven movement patterns which require mobility and stability. The seven following movement patterns are scored from 0-3 points, with the sum creating a score ranging from 0-21 points.
- deep squat
- hurdle step
- in-line lunge
- active straight-leg raise
- trunk stability push-up
- rotary stability
- shoulder mobility
Intended Population: The Functional Movement Screen was intended to serve as a screen to identify individuals with functional movement deficits that could indicate an increased risk of injury. Patients who can benefit from this screen range from young individuals to middle-aged/senior individuals, elite/collegiate/professional athletes, as well as military and firefighters. Lower Functional Movement Screen scores have been noted to be associated with an increased body mass index (BMI), increased age, and decreased activity level.
