Does Poor Movement Predict Risk of Injury?

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I think the world would be a healthier place if people received annual movement and nutritional screenings. Since initiating this campaign, I have received several questions regarding the ability to predict injury with a musculoskeletal (movement) screening. In physical therapy, there is limited research to predict that poor movement is the 'cause' of the problem. The human body is too complex to observe a compound movement and try to objectively state one abnormality is the problem. If I watch two people with low back pain perform a squat, they may have pain for completely different reasons. One may lack proper trunk stability and the other could have poor ankle motion.  

However, we cannot argue that certain movements appear inherently more natural or safer than others. For example, when Jordan Spieth swings a golf club, it is a pure movement. His risk of injury is low because his biomechanics in the movement are correct. From my clinical experiences, it is easier to predict injury with poor movement. In the 2012 NFL combine, Robert Griffin III demonstrated terrible jumping mechanics (see picture below). Within one year, he tore his ACL and has since had a second reconstruction.   

When it comes to human movement, it is not simple enough to state A=B. A number of variables- mobility, strength, stability, environmental factors, and more- all play a roll in how we move. However, I can confidently say that getting a musculoskeletal screening is a step in the right direction to predicting and preventing future injuries.

Sign up for a FREE musculoskeletal and movement screening today. Visit Heafner Health to learn more information. ​