Free Movement Assessment with Movement RX
My Movement Rx team and I are certified practitioners of what’s called the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA). It’s a tool that – in the right hands – provides a quick but thorough view of an athlete’s movement and motor control issues. In a 15 minute session, I use the SFMA as a tool to review you from head to toe.
Why an Individual Movement Assessment is Important
Complimentary 15 minute sessions at SDA: Thursday from 6-7pm
EVERYONE has some kind of motor control issue in how they move. Even the Rich Fronings, Kelly Slaters, and Mary Lou Rettons of the world have them. The SFMA can help you understand your personal movement pattern deficiencies and I then translate that into what that actually means for you. It’s then in your hands to decide if and how to work on them to avoid the potential discomfort, pain, and performance limitations your deficiencies may cause you. A loss in hip mobility or motor control can cost you strength, power, as well as make your low back pay.
From a clinician standpoint, the SFMA is based on a concept called ‘regional interdependence’. In basic terms, if you treat the pain, you often miss the cause. There are numerous studies that have linked movement dysfunction in one area of the body with pain and dysfunction in another area of the body. The most common ties my team and I see are a) hip impairments that are related to strength deficits in a squat as well as low back pain and knee pain. B) Thoracic impairments that are related to limited overhead strength as well as neck or shoulder pain.
As a clinician, a coach, and an athlete I use this assessment tool to guide me on where to focus my own personal self care. Being a former professional fast-pitch softball player now Spartan racer, I have some large asymmetries that can potentially cause injury when doing activities that require active and full symmetry in my body- jumping over logs, snatching, pull-ups etc. I want to raise my ceiling of performance and keep myself healthy for the long haul.
My philosophy is to treat individuals completely and give them a better understanding that even though there may or may not be pain, body maintenance is essential to life-long wellness and performance in the gym. Using this tool with patients gives them guidance on where in their body they need to focus and what the optimal range or movement/motor control is to engage in their favored activities.
We are offering complimentary SFMA sessions on Thursday March 26th from 6-7 pm at SDA. There are only 5 slots available (6:00, 6:15, 6:30, 7:00), so sign up now!
