Physioworks Health Group have long been involved in Research Studies to assist the preparation of athletes prior to their season or event
Recently I went back to Adelaide to the SANFL U18 Combine where myself and health care colleagues did Functional Movement Screen (FMS) testing on all the players at the Adelaide Oval Indoor Training Centre.
Over the last two seasons we have been researching injuries within the SANFL Under 18’s competition. We use the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to assess optimal movement patterns of these young athletes. We then track the players throughout the year, monitoring injury rates and severity.
The FMS looks to pick up asymmetries and poor movement patterns that may leave players vulnerable to injury. Asymmetries is the difference of strength, mobility or control from one side to the other, for example the mobility of the left hamstring compared to the right hamstring.
By being able to identify these risk factors early, we can look to implement tailored corrective exercises for individuals (which could also be applied across the team), before any problems arise – extremely important in the pre-season preparation of the athlete.