Selective Functional Movement Assessment

Professional physiotherapist working with male patient.Med1Care Therapy Partner’s physical therapists are trained to provide Selective Functional Movement Assessments (SFMA) to look at your movement patterns and get to the root of your pain. SFMA assessment is appropriate for any condition, injury or pain.

The SFMA allows therapists to systematically customize your exercise and manual therapy treatments to prevent future injury and reduce pain.

How does SFMA work?

Observing your unique patterns, the SFMA is used to classify movement throughout the entire body as functional or dysfunction, painful or non-painful.

Motions analysis includes:

  • rotating the neck
  • moving the arms/shoulders
  • bending forward and back
  • twisting the trunk
  • balancing on each leg
  • squatting

When motor deficiency occurs, such as with stability, limited joint movement or tight, restricted soft tissues, the pattern is further segmented to identify cause.

The SFMA is often conducted with traditional strength and range of motion testing to get a baseline of your current capacity. Using the SFMA information, your physical therapist can design an efficient treatment plan and measure your progress throughout rehabilitation.

Read more about Selective Functional Movement Assessment here.

How We Can Help

Med1Care Therapy Partner’s experienced therapists are trained in Selective Functional Movement Assessment to help identify and treat the presenting symptoms of any regions that lack stability (motor control) or mobility (range of motion). SFMA diagnosis supports accurate pain-reducing treatment to restore quality of life. We will partner with your physician to help you build a road to recovery.

Call us at 419.866.0555 to schedule a consultation.
Our specialists will help you chart a course forward.

Seven basic movements (“top tier”) are used to map the body and isolate problem patterns in the SFMA.

The seven basic movements are classified into three patterns: cervical, upper-extremity and multi-segmental, including:

Cervical Patterns

  • Flexion, extension, and rotation

Upper-Extremity Patterns

  • Medial (internal) rotation& extension pattern
  • Lateral (external) rotation & abduction pattern

Multi-Segmental Patterns

  • Multi-segmental flexion
  • Multi-segmental extension
  • Multi-segmental rotation (R + L)
  • Single-leg stance (R + L) and overhead squat

SFMA test results for each pattern receive one of four scores, based on pain and movement restriction.

The four SFMA results include:

  • Functional, non-painful
  • Functional, painful
  • Dysfunctional, non-painful
  • Dysfunctional, painful

Yes. The SFMA is often used to assess athletes in various sports, including runners, baseball players, swimmers, weightlifters and soccer players.