How Does It Work?
Screening looks at how you move rather than at where it hurts. A series of basic patterns, squatting, stepping, lunging, reaching, rotating and single-leg balance, are scored for quality, range and symmetry. The aim is to find the limitation before it becomes a complaint.
Asymmetry is the finding that matters most. A person who squats well on one side and compensates on the other will load the two sides unequally with every repetition, and repeated unequal loading is a common route to overuse injury.
A poor pattern has more than one possible cause. Failing a deep squat might reflect ankle stiffness, hip restriction, poor trunk control or simply not knowing the movement. Screening identifies which, because the correction differs completely depending on the answer.
The output is a specific corrective programme rather than a score. Restrictions are mobilised, weak links are strengthened, and the pattern is retrained and retested. Screening without a follow-on plan is only data.
Types/Variations We Offer
Full movement screen: the complete battery of fundamental patterns with scoring and side-to-side comparison.
Sport-specific screen: patterns weighted towards the demands of your sport.
Return-to-activity screen: used after rehabilitation to confirm the original fault has actually been corrected.
Workplace screen: focused on lifting, carrying and sustained postures for physically demanding jobs.
Conditions Treated
Advantages & Expected Benefits
Finds the limitation before it becomes an injury
Explains why the same injury keeps recurring despite the pain settling each time
Identifies side-to-side asymmetry that you cannot feel yourself
Produces a specific corrective plan rather than general advice
Gives an objective baseline that can be retested to show change
Useful before starting a new training programme or returning to sport
Potential Risks & Short-term Side Effects
Mild soreness after testing unfamiliar movement patterns
Brief reproduction of symptoms during a pattern that loads the affected area
Contra-Indications / Precautions
This treatment may not be suitable for individuals with:
- •Acute injury or an unhealed fracture, where testing is deferred until healing allows
- •Post-operative restrictions that prohibit the tested movements
- •Acute joint swelling or an active inflammatory flare
- •Any pattern producing sharp pain, which is stopped and assessed rather than scored
- •Cardiac or respiratory limitation that makes exertional testing unsafe without clearance
What to Expect in a Session
Screening: fundamental movement patterns are performed and scored, with each side recorded separately.
Analysis: for every limited pattern, the cause is established, whether it is mobility, stability, motor control or unfamiliarity.
Priority setting: mobility restrictions are addressed before stability work, since you cannot control a range you do not have.
Corrective programme: specific exercises targeting the identified limitation, not a general routine.
Retest: the same patterns are rescored after a training block, so improvement is demonstrated rather than assumed.
Evidence & Clinical Guidelines
Movement screening tools are widely used, and their ability to predict injury on their own is debated in the literature, with several studies finding limited predictive value from composite scores alone.
Asymmetry between limbs has somewhat more consistent support as a risk indicator than a total score, which is why side-to-side comparison is emphasised here.
Screening is therefore used to direct a corrective programme and to establish a retestable baseline, rather than presented as a test that predicts whether you will be injured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this tell me if I am going to get injured?
No, and any screening that claims to is overstating the evidence. What it reliably does is identify restrictions and asymmetries worth correcting, and give a baseline you can be retested against.
I have no pain. Is it still worth doing?
That is arguably the best time. Restrictions and asymmetries usually exist for a long period before they produce symptoms, and correcting them is considerably easier before an injury than after one.
How long does it take?
About thirty to forty minutes for the screen and the discussion of findings, after which you receive the corrective programme.
What happens if I score badly?
You get a specific plan rather than a verdict. A low score simply tells us where to start, and the same patterns are retested after a training block to confirm the correction worked.
Need More Information?
Our expert physiotherapists are here to answer any questions you may have about Functional Movement Screening.
Medically Reviewed
This content was reviewed for medical accuracy by Dr. Surabhi Bansal, BPT, MPT (Ortho) with 14+ years of clinical experience.
At Modern Physio, all medical content undergoes a thorough review process to ensure accuracy and alignment with current physiotherapy standards. Our content is created to educate and should not replace professional medical advice. Learn more about our review process.