HAWC uses Full Movement Screen tool to prevent potential injury Published Nov. 6, 2013 By Tammy Johnson 99th Aerospace Medicine Squadron NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- If someone is driving down the road and feels the steering wheel pull to the left, it may be a flat tire, or could indicate that the vehicle needs a tire rotation. In this event, most likely someone would take the car to a mechanic to see what is going on to prevent further, more expensive damage. Your body, like a vehicle, depends on alignment, functional movement, economy, flexibility, and balance to run smooth and pain free. Many of us take better care of our cars than our bodies, letting aches, pains, or decreased range of motion impair performance, posture, or injury before we even decide to see a doctor or fitness professional. We all know that something as little as having low air pressure in our tires can affect gas mileage or alignment. The same breakdown in our body can affect fitness performance negatively. The 99th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Health and Wellness Center located at the Warrior Fitness Center can give you a Functional Movement Screen and see if there are any breakdowns in your movement and alignment. The Functional Movement Screen tool designed by Gray Cook, a leading expert in physiological movement, is provided by the HAWC at Nellis and Creech AFBs fitness centers by appointment. This tool is widely used for predicting injury risk among collegiate and professional athletes. The FMS involves performing seven basic movements including the deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility, straight-leg raise, push-up, and trunk rotary stability which test your posture, movement control, balance, range of motion, and kinetic alignment. A qualified exercise physiologist will evaluate and score the movements from zero to three points for each movement. A maximum of 21 points can be attained and the test takes approximately 20 minutes. Those scoring lower than 14 may be at risk for potential musculoskeletal breakdown or overuse injuries. Our bodies are smart and when there is a weakness or imbalance due to lack of strength or injury, the body will use compensatory methods to pick-up the slack. This can lead to inefficient or dysfunctional patterns in our movements and fitness routines, decreasing performance and increasing injury risk. Injuries cost the military money and loss of force. The HAWC professional can provide an exercise plan based off of your FMS results and target areas that require more strength or improved flexibility. To schedule your future Functional Movement Screening contact the HAWC at 653-3375 or 653-3381.
