A Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) is a clinical assessment used to identify the source of joint and muscle pain. It helps physical and occupational therapists pinpoint exactly where your movement is restricted or causing discomfort. By understanding these limitations, they can create a more effective plan of exercises and therapies that may improve your symptoms.
Summit Orthopedics offers SFMA and other assessments for people throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
How SFMA Works
The Selective Functional Movement Assessment is a diagnostic system based on a theory called regional interdependence, which means that every region of the body is linked in complex ways. Pain in one area, like your knee, could be caused by an issue in a completely different area, such as your hip. An SFMA evaluates your body’s overall movement patterns to help identify what’s causing your pain.
This assessment is often combined with other tests, including range-of-motion and strength measurements, to give your therapist a full picture of your body’s needs. Based on the results, they’ll create a personalized treatment plan to address your pain.
As you work through physical therapy or rehabilitation, your therapist will continue to use SFMA to track your progress and reassess your movement patterns. Over time, as your dysfunctional movement patterns improve, you should start to feel less pain and regain better function.
What an SFMA Involves
A Selective Functional Movement Assessment starts by evaluating specific movements and then breaking them into smaller movements. The goal is to determine exactly where and how pain is happening—for example, not just “neck pain” but “neck pain that happens when you bend right, but not when you bend left.”
Your physical therapist will guide you through the SFMA, which requires stretching and bending. Movements you may encounter as part of an SMFA include:
- Bending backwards
- Bending forward to touch your toes
- Bending your head back
- Bending your neck to your chest
- Moving your torso around at different angles
- Rotating your head to the sides and bending your head to your shoulder
- Squatting
- Standing on one leg at a time
- Stretching your arms in multiple directions
Your therapist will assist you with movements that may feel challenging due to your age or mobility. The SFMA is not a workout.
As you move, your therapist will note which movements are pain-free (functional) and which cause pain or are limited. The goal of an SFMA is to find dysfunctional movements and determine what could be causing them, such as balance problems, joint issues, tight muscles or tissues, or other conditions.
Benefits of SFMA
The Selective Functional Movement Assessment has many benefits. By evaluating your entire body, your therapy team can focus on treating the root cause of your pain or movement issue, not just the symptoms.
The specially trained physical therapists in our golf program use SFMA to assess the potential risk of injury in golfers. SFMA can also help us gauge injury risk in other sports, including baseball, dance, soccer and weightlifting.
Conditions Evaluated With SFMA
The SFMA is appropriate for anyone who is experiencing pain from chronic conditions, acute injuries or traumas. Your therapist may use an SFMA if you have:
An SFMA may help diagnose the medical cause of your pain. It can also help your team create a more personalized treatment plan or detect other problems that might not be readily apparent in an initial visit.
Who Performs a Selective Functional Movement Assessment
Only experienced healthcare professionals can perform SFMA training. They must complete continuing education courses, beginning with an SFMA Level 1 course, followed by a certification exam. Many professionals then advance to the SFMA Level 2 course, which teaches them how to use the assessment to guide treatments.
SFMA at Summit Orthopedics
At Summit Orthopedics, we’re dedicated to helping you move and feel your best. Our team uses SFMA to uncover the root cause of your pain and create a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs. With our expert care and a focus on whole-body movement, we’ll work with you every step of the way to alleviate discomfort, restore function and get you back to the activities you love.
Summit Orthopedics surgeons are available at nearly 30 convenient locations across the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Our state-of-the-art, comprehensive orthopedic centers offer same-day appointments from a team of experts who offer the full scope of orthopedic care.
Find your Summit Orthopedics expert, request an appointment or call us at (651) 968-5201 to schedule a consultation.
