I’d like to write about my experiences and what I took away from the workshop. If you are unfamiliar with the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) it is a system designed by Gray and Lee that entails the assessment (or screening) of seven different movement patterns. There is a 0-3 scoring system for each of the patterns and ensuing corrective exercise recommendations based on the results of the assessments (screens). I should stick with their vernacular and use screen. Gray and Lee differentiate between screens and assessments.  What I would call a movement assessment, they would call a movement screen. They reserve the term assessments for their Selective Functional Movement Assessments (SFMA). Specifically they call them “Top Tier Movement Assessments.” The FMS screens are designed to provide a “systematic way to observe movement patterns(1).” Practitioners are looking to identify “significant limitations or asymmetries (1)” and challenge mobility and stability.

The seven movement screens are:

1. Deep Squat
2. Hurdle Step
3. In-Line Lunge
4. Shoulder Mobility
5. Active Straight Leg Raise
6. Trunk Stability Push-Up
7. Rotary Stability

If a client/patient/athlete (CPA) reports experiencing pain during one of these movements the practitioner scores this movement a “0” and it is recommended that they refer the CPA out to a licensed healthcare practitioner to either complete the SFMA or or other necessary evaluation techniques to identify the source of the pain.

If the CPA cannot complete the movement, they are assessed a “1.” If the CPA completes the movements with compensations they are assigned a “2”. If a CPA earns a “2” on screens 1, 6 and 7, they are provided modified movements to attempt. If the movement is perfect, the earn a “3.” For screens 2-5 and 7 a score is assigned to both the left and the right of the body.

This is a basic overview of the FMS and there is more depth to the system as well as it’s rationale, but it’s a start.  The Deep Squat is the movement that I am most familiar with and it is the first movement in the FMS screen. I find more similarities with Gray and Lees work and NASM’s Overhead Squat Assessment (OHSA) than I find differences.

Some similarities in the set up and movement: the feet are positioned about shoulder with apart (acromion for the FMS and the gleno-humeral joint for NASM), feet are to be pointed straight ahead, and the shoulder/arm position is similar, however the FMS utilizes a dowel and is more precise in the positioning.

Some differences in the set up and movement: the FMS, like the title of the screen states, is looking at a deep squat and requires the CPA to sink as low as they can go, NASM’s OHSA asks the CPA to squat to parallel or a 90 degree angle at the knee.

The scoring is quite different. NASM is checking off compensations at the five major load bearing joints of the kinetic chain. The FMS hangs a number on the overall movement. Both assessment/screening tools consider the feet turning out (inability to keep the feet pointed straight ahead), knees moving in (inability to maintain alignment of the tibial plateau and the 2nd and 3rd toes), excessive forward lean (inability to keep the tibia and torso parallel).

NASM counts an excessive lumbar extension and anterior pelvic tilt as well as spinal flexion  and posterior pelvic tilt as a compensation. FMS just wants to see the depth while maintaining alignment at the aforementioned check points. NASM looks at the ability to maintain a neutral arch in the foot and documents over pronation at the lower extremity. Now, in passing, Lee came over to our break out group and he agreed that was a compensation, but the FMS is practitioner is taught to focus on easier to identify compensations.

Here is video on the FMS deep squat that is over 5 years old, but gives you a visual:

http://youtu.be/UdragwWQzbc

Here is a run down of NASM’s OHSA if you have not seen it:

http://www.nasm.org/1/global/videos/Overhead_Squat_Assessment_Video/

I feel like I could go joint by joint and work through why each organizations either emphasizes or deemphasizes certain movements. I look forward to applying the FMS for longer to get a better feel for things. The FMS does not focus on muscles, only movements, and this translates into the screen. This is attractive. Don’t get caught up in anatomy, is it this muscle or that muscle? Just score the movement as it is.

On the other hand, some of the movements might be termed synergistic dominance according to NASM’s school of thought. This is something I would like to explore further as well as the fascial lines superimposed across these 7 FMS movements and NASM’s OHAS, Single Leg Squat and accompanying movement assessments.

More of that on another day!

Thanks for stopping by.

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
Corrective Exercise Specialist
AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard
http://youtube.com/theericbeard

• January 27, 2010 -- Overhead Squat Assessment-Excessive Forward Lean from Ankle Restriction at NASM CES Workshop by Eric Beard (0)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)
• January 15, 2010 -- Boston CPT for NASM Ends up With Some After Hours Corrective Exercise Action for Eric Beard (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• March 3, 2011 -- Shoulder Dysfunction and Contra-Lateral Sacroiliac Joint Health in a Tennis Player (0)

It seems that I don’t usually get to posting on Thursday nights, but I’d like to get more regular with my blog. And no not to talk about increasing my fiber intake. I don’t have a video to share this week just some insights. (actually I just uploaded one for the edit!!) I have a client that I’ve been working with, who is a seventy-year-old avid tennis player. She is very open-minded to alternative treatments takes very good care of herself. And has recently been receiving physical therapy, stretch therapy, neuromuscular massage therapy, and seeing a chiropractor, for a shoulder injury. She had an MRI to quantify the damage to the shoulder and she’s laid off from tennis to let her shoulder heal. Actually she hasn’t laid off from playing tennis. She’s only playing left-handed now, and she’s the a right-handed player. Talk about dedication to tennis!

This woman has received acupuncture, used homeopathic remedies and mixed these approaches to health care with traditional medicine. Pretty much the perfect client. haven’t actually work with her for a few years but she’s back to see me to help with her shoulder. When I started to ask her about the treatment she’d been receiving, I was pretty happy. It sound like a good mix of therapies the compliment each other well. Once I performed some movement assessments, goniometry measurements, (specific joint range of motion assessments) and manual muscle testing, I found that there were several other areas throughout the kinetic chain contributing to her shoulder injury. I was a bit disappointed that none of the other practitioners that she was seeing were addressing these other areas. It sounded like the work they were doing was appropriate for shoulder, but the rest of the kinetic chain is not being considered. She had restrictions in dorsiflexion flexion, left sacroiliac joint dysfunction and other soft tissue restrictions. Just by releasing her left adductor magnus, left short head of the biceps femoris and encouraging some movement in her sacroiliac joint, she instantaneously stood taller and moved easier. She was excited and relieved that her whole body felt better. It always amazes me the, complexity yet simplicity of the kinetic chain principle. It’s true that sometimes we can’t see the forest through the trees, and I have made this mistake myself plenty of times. So the good news is is that this client will coming to see me for some soft tissue work and very specific corrective exercise programming to address her movement impairments and she will continue to see her other practitioners for localize work at the site of her injury. This is almost the best case scenario we have a specific diagnosis and qualified practitioners treating the diagnosis as well if someone else looking at the big picture. Now at 70 years of age playing as much tennis as this client is played, degradation of tissue is unavoidable. I’m not saying a the SI joint restriction caused her shoulder problem. It might even just be a response to the injury itself. I’m very clear however that does need to be addressed. And if we think about the fascial connections in the posterior chain of the body, the sacroiliac joint dysfunction and right shoulder dysfunction are not uncommon in this situation. We can extrapolate that further restrictions in dorsi flexion bilaterally as well as first MTP joint restriction bilaterally have contributed to her dysfunction as well.

I’m excited to get this client back on the court and playing tennis again…with the racket in her right hand. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take, but I know her love of the game will keep her moving consistently toward that court again.

I’m sure we’ve all experienced situations where other practitioners have get lost in the minutia of the condition. As corrective exercise specialists and personal trainers, we work with our strengths of just looking at human movement. We can’t diagnose, many of us can’t apply manual therapy techniques unless we are licensed to do so, but we can observe and identify movement impairments. We can restore muscular balance. We can activate inhibited muscles. We can teach quality movement patterns. We can make a huge difference. We can do so along with other practitioners who have the appropriate licensure and skill set to identify and treat specific injuries. or we can use this skill set skill set with someone who doesn’t have a diagnosed injury to enhance the quality of life, performance on the court or play time with their kids.

There are so many other people that we can learn from to get better at what we do. There are countless practitioners we can network with to learn more about the body. Just remember that human movement is human movement, and the kinetic chain is the kinetic chain. These basics will guide us in identification of dysfunction reeducation of the neuromuscular system, fitness programs and athletic performance enhancement programs.

That’s all for me tonight. Thanks for reading and here is to to a dry and sunny spring!

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
Corrective Exercise Specialist
AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard
http://youtube.com/theericbeard

• February 11, 2010 -- HFPN-Another Fitness Challenge Goals and Progress for Eric Beard 2/11/2010- My Corrective Exercise is Working! (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• January 27, 2010 -- Overhead Squat Assessment-Excessive Forward Lean from Ankle Restriction at NASM CES Workshop by Eric Beard (0)
• January 3, 2013 -- Frontal Plane and Knee Pain: Tennis Player (0)
• April 19, 2011 -- Full Length DVD Content FREE Here! Corrective Exercise and More! (0)

I have been plugging away at improving my overhead squat and it has felt great! I enlisted the help of Krisitn Mohr, a physical therapist at Integrative Therapeutics in Natick, MA. She can be reached at kmohr@integrativetherapeutics.com if you want some work from her. She is a skilled manual therapist and “gets it”!

Here is a series of short 2-3 minute videos bringing your through part of our last appointment.

Thanks for reading!

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

AthleticShoulder.com
http://facebook.com/theericbeard

• February 24, 2010 -- Another Fitness Challenge Update on Ankle Mobility of Eric Beard (0)
• February 11, 2010 -- HFPN-Another Fitness Challenge Goals and Progress for Eric Beard 2/11/2010- My Corrective Exercise is Working! (0)
• February 19, 2010 -- Upper Extremity Reach Range of Motion Assessments (0)
• February 9, 2010 -- 5 Minute Core Stability / Corrective Exercise for Back Pain by Eric Beard with the MECA Back (0)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)

Right Ankle Prone Straight Leg- 0 degrees
Left Ankle Prone Straight Leg- -2 degrees (yes that is a minus as in negative)
Right Ankle Prone Bent Leg- 2 degrees
Left Ankle Prone Bent Leg- 4 degrees

The ideal for these measurements is about 15-20 degrees. You need 12 degrees of dorsiflexion to stand with a neutral position in your lumbo-pelvic-hip- complex (LPHC) and @ 15 degrees to be able maintain neutral when walking….I am not even close so the alignment of my pelvis and lumbar spine must be way off! Based off of my movement assessments (on my You Tube Channel http://youtube.com/theericbeard) my left ankle is the primary source of dysfunction. I have spent most of my efforts on getting the ankle to move better and I feel better already. My forward lean is improved in my squat and there is less tension in my body overall. Ankle mobility is so important to human movement.

I do have some other goals as well. Here are my measurements and goals to reach by the end of Another Fitness Challenge;

2.1.10 Measurements
height 6’05″
weight 205lbs-shorts tee shirt Goal weight-210 lbs
calipers
1-bi 3.5 mm
2-tri 7.5 mm
3-supra 8.5 mm
4-sub 11.5 mm
Total mm 31
chart BF% 16.17%
Omron bf% 15.70%
BF average 15.93%
fat mass 32.65 Goal LBM- 27.65 lbs
LBM 172.35 Gaol LBM-182.35 lbs
BMI 27.6
HR
BP
chest (exhale) 44″
right upper arm 15.75″
left upper arm 15.5″
waist 36.5″
hips 44″
right thigh 25″
left thigh 25.25″
right calve 17.75″
left calve 18″

I wrote out my goals clearly using the S.M.A.R.T. System and review them daily. I am also using the support from the HFPN/AFC chat room and contestants to stay on track. I have accountability to everyone that I have shared my goals with.

I hope you are all progressing with your health and fitness goals as well. Thanks for the support and feel free to comment below and share your goals.

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

Corrective Exercise Specialist

AthleticShoulder.com
RangeOfMotionWorkshop.com

• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• February 24, 2010 -- Another Fitness Challenge Update on Ankle Mobility of Eric Beard (0)
• February 1, 2010 -- HFPN’s Another Fitness Challenge? Eric Beard is In! How About You? (0)
• February 9, 2010 -- 5 Minute Core Stability / Corrective Exercise for Back Pain by Eric Beard with the MECA Back (0)
• February 4, 2010 -- Goal Setting 101…an Abridged Lesson (1)

If this compensation continues unchecked it can lead to low back pain, headaches, patella femoral pain and other dysfunction in the kinetic chain.

NASM has the best Corrective Exercise credential in the business and an excellent 2 day workshop. Visit http://nasm.org for more details.

Hope you find the video helpful!

Eric Beard
CEO A-Team
EricBeard.com
AthleticShoulder.com
http://youtube.com/theericbeard.com

• January 15, 2010 -- Boston CPT for NASM Ends up With Some After Hours Corrective Exercise Action for Eric Beard (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• November 10, 2009 -- Brian Tracy Has Performed Corrective Exericse for my Head (0)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)
• December 17, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Answers Why Do I Like DotFit? (0)

Had a fun first day at the Boston workshop today. I stayed after and worked on a dancer and did a few overhead squat assessments (ACL surgeries, car accidents and scoliosis).

Here is the treatment protocol that O followed for one;
Worked on a young female dancer after NASM CPT class today in Boston-
She had left medial knee pain
OHS-low back arch, excessive forward lean,
Released (inhibited) -Vastus lateralis, TFL, Biceps femoris (short head),
Stretched (lengthened) -TFL/ITB,
Activated-VMO Glute Medius,
Integration-BW squats, lots of cuing on loading the hips with a neutral L-P-H-C
Now moving much better! No pain after treatment.

And an assessment video from another;

He needs me to tear into that ankle and get things moving! He needs some deep tissue work for sure and yes the hip and shoulder are not far behind, but he seems to have issues from the ground up from repeated ankle sprains and peroneal strains. I hope to help him find a physical therapist, chiropractor, massage therapist or corrective exercise specialist that is licensed to perform manual therapy to help him out.

Well…couple of invites to send out for HFPN then time for my workout!

Thanks for reading.

Eric Beard

CEO A-Team

EricBeard.com

AthleticShoulder.com

• January 27, 2010 -- Overhead Squat Assessment-Excessive Forward Lean from Ankle Restriction at NASM CES Workshop by Eric Beard (0)
• February 24, 2010 -- Another Fitness Challenge Update on Ankle Mobility of Eric Beard (0)
• February 26, 2010 -- First Month of Another Fitness Challenge Brings Eric Beard Some Results (1)
• February 19, 2010 -- Upper Extremity Reach Range of Motion Assessments (0)
• August 5, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise and Maintenance Program to Keep the Right Knee Healthy of a Young Female Tennis Player (0)

In this post I want to share a case study with you. KM volunteered! Thank you KM! Each video is very short, about a minute or less. I add some light commentary to go with what you are viewing.

Anterior and posterior view of overhead squat. Anterior view, pay attention to right foot and knee. Posterior view pay attention to the alignment of her pelvis and left femur. I filmed this video after she has just performed myofascial release for 50 minutes and static stretching for 60 minutes. Her compensations were much more noticeable before this!

Here is a modified version of the overhead squat. We elevate the heels to decrease the demand on the ankle joint for sagital plane movement (dorsiflexion). We are using a 3+¹⁄₂ inch lift since here compensations are so pronounced. We typically use 1 1/2 inches. Sorry about the last 30 seconds of this one:) it picks up in the next video…notice the improvement in quality of movement, depth and symmetry from the anterior view…

Posterior view, heels elevated/overhead squat…watch the abduction of the left femur. You can see that the left ankle just stops moving and she abducts at hip (femur).

Her left ankle is her primary impairment, LPHC secondary.

After I worked with KM for about 10 minutes, this is the result we got, still some instability in the LPHC and restriction in the left hip capsule, but much smoother.

I worked on here squat technique with just a few cues and had her put her sneakers on and this was the final result about 15 minutes total time…your clients patients and athletes have 15 minutes a day, don’t they?

Not a bad improvement for a short intervention. Her original overhead squat assessment provided and even more pronounced set of compensations, but there is still a difference in the quality of her movement for sure.

Imagine if she was going to run or lift weights moving like she was without performing a corrective exercise program? How long would her cartilage in her right knee or the integrity of her lumbar discs last?

For homework I recommended that she continue to follow up with her Chiropractor, execute the corrective program we designed for her and perform the self ankle mobilization technique that I showed her daily. In addition we discussed footwear as well, limiting heels whenever possible.

In addition to the Overhead Squat, I performend a range of motion assessment on her ankles and determined that her dorsiflexion on the right side was 8 degrees (15-20 is deal) and 3.5 degrees on the left side (15-20 is ideal).

Her left tibialis anterior, and glute medius bilaterally (right weaker than left) tested weak with manual muscle testing.

I believe that she has a restriction in her left right capsule, pelvic obliquity and a restriction in her sacroilliac joint as well. I believe that this stems from teh restriction in her left subtalor joint.

After the movement assessment (before the goniometry and MMT) I aksed KM if she had ever sprained her left ankle and she shared that she had a significant injury to her left ankle when she was a teenager.

Key Overactive Muscles
Lateral gastroc (L>R)
TFL (R>L)
Vastus Lateralis (R)
Biceps Femoris (short head R>L)

Key Under Active Muscles
Tibialis Anterior (L)
Glue Medius (R>L)
Intrinsic Core Stabilizers

Thanks for reading!

Eric Beard
Athletic Performance Enhancement Specialist
Corrective Exercise Specialist
theericbeard.blogspot.com
www.ericbeard.com

• May 17, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Case Study- Ankle Impairment (0)
• June 1, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise with the Rotator??? Yes! (0)
• June 1, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise with the Rotator??? Yes! (0)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)
• April 4, 2009 -- Throwing Athletes at Risk for Shoulder Injury; Corrective Exercise Can Help! (0)

In this post I want to share a case study with you. KM volunteered! Thank you KM! Each video is very short, about a minute or less. I add some light commentary to go with what you are viewing.

Anterior and posterior view of overhead squat. Anterior view, pay attention to right foot and knee. Posterior view pay attention to the alignment of her pelvis and left femur. I filmed this video after she has just performed myofascial release for 50 minutes and static stretching for 60 minutes. Her compensations were much more noticeable before this!

Here is a modified version of the overhead squat. We elevate the heels to decrease the demand on the ankle joint for sagital plane movement (dorsiflexion). We are using a 3+¹⁄₂ inch lift since here compensations are so pronounced. We typically use 1 1/2 inches. Sorry about the last 30 seconds of this one:) it picks up in the next video…notice the improvement in quality of movement, depth and symmetry from the anterior view…

Posterior view, heels elevated/overhead squat…watch the abduction of the left femur. You can see that the left ankle just stops moving and she abducts at hip (femur).

Her left ankle is her primary impairment, LPHC secondary.

After I worked with KM for about 10 minutes, this is the result we got, still some instability in the LPHC and restriction in the left hip capsule, but much smoother.

I worked on here squat technique with just a few cues and had her put her sneakers on and this was the final result about 15 minutes total time…your clients patients and athletes have 15 minutes a day, don’t they?

Not a bad improvement for a short intervention. Her original overhead squat assessment provided and even more pronounced set of compensations, but there is still a difference in the quality of her movement for sure.

Imagine if she was going to run or lift weights moving like she was without performing a corrective exercise program? How long would her cartilage in her right knee or the integrity of her lumbar discs last?

For homework I recommended that she continue to follow up with her Chiropractor, execute the corrective program we designed for her and perform the self ankle mobilization technique that I showed her daily. In addition we discussed footwear as well, limiting heels whenever possible.

In addition to the Overhead Squat, I performend a range of motion assessment on her ankles and determined that her dorsiflexion on the right side was 8 degrees (15-20 is deal) and 3.5 degrees on the left side (15-20 is ideal).

Her left tibialis anterior, and glute medius bilaterally (right weaker than left) tested weak with manual muscle testing.

I believe that she has a restriction in her left right capsule, pelvic obliquity and a restriction in her sacroilliac joint as well. I believe that this stems from teh restriction in her left subtalor joint.

After the movement assessment (before the goniometry and MMT) I aksed KM if she had ever sprained her left ankle and she shared that she had a significant injury to her left ankle when she was a teenager.

Key Overactive Muscles
Lateral gastroc (L>R)
TFL (R>L)
Vastus Lateralis (R)
Biceps Femoris (short head R>L)

Key Under Active Muscles
Tibialis Anterior (L)
Glue Medius (R>L)
Intrinsic Core Stabilizers

Thanks for reading!

Eric Beard
Athletic Performance Enhancement Specialist
Corrective Exercise Specialist
theericbeard.blogspot.com
www.ericbeard.com

• May 17, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise Specialist Case Study- Ankle Impairment (1)
• June 1, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise with the Rotator??? Yes! (0)
• June 1, 2009 -- Corrective Exercise with the Rotator??? Yes! (0)
• January 31, 2010 -- FLY This-Eric Beard Shows a Cool Variation for Core Stability plus Another Fitness Challenge (1)
• April 4, 2009 -- Throwing Athletes at Risk for Shoulder Injury; Corrective Exercise Can Help! (0)