Are you an athlete looking for physical therapy? Or perhaps you’re someone who’s been dealing with pain and wondering how to address it? You might have heard of Selective Functional Movement Assessment, or SFMA. This is a system that assesses and classifies movement patterns in order to direct exercise and manual therapy treatments that are customized for your needs. SFMA aims to identify the root cause of your faulty movement patterns, which is often responsible for your pain. If you’re curious about this system and its benefits, keep reading!
First, let’s discuss the aim of SFMA. This system seeks to go beyond evaluating mobility and strength limitations in isolation but instead determine how different movement patterns of the body coordinate and interact as a whole. This allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the cause of pain, dysfunction, or performance limitations. Moreover, the root cause of the problem is identified, which helps create an appropriate measure for treatment.
The scope of SFMA does not only cover athletes but also people with different backgrounds such as office workers, stay-at-home parents, and people who suffer from chronic pain. Performing SFMA requires proper certification, extensive training, and experience. Certified practitioners employ a logical and systematic way of evaluating the body’s mobility to identify the movement pattern responsible for causing pain, discomfort, or dysfunction.
SFMA is commonly used in outpatient and sports physical therapy – it is a useful tool to manage injuries, screen for potential injury risks, increase athletic performance, and improve wellness. If the SFMA determines that your pain or issue is due to a faulty movement pattern, the corrective exercises and manual therapy treatments prescribed for you will then aim to improve your movements, which eventually gets rid of your symptoms.
As a patient undergoing SFMA, you will undergo a series of treatment sessions that may span for weeks or months. The therapy is designed to address your body’s asymmetries, imbalances, and compensations that are causing pain. Depending on your physical capacity, most treatments involve a combination of mobility training, strength training, stability training, and manual interventions such as manipulation or massage.
Selective Functional Movement Assessment or SFMA is a beneficial system that helps identify the root cause of pain and mobility problems. Certified practitioners use a comprehensive and systematic approach to assess, classify, and diagnose movement patterns. It is designed to provide personalized solutions based on your specific problem, enhancing your athletic performance or daily activities, managing chronic conditions, and preventing potential injuries. If you think that SFMA is for you, consult a certified SFMA practitioner today, and start experiencing the positive outcomes of this amazing system!
