Movement Screens - The Truth Behind The Screen

Movement Screens - Do They Work As Advertised?

Movement screens can mean a variety of different things depending on who is offering the screen. In high school and college athletics, they are commonly advertised as something to help predict or reduce the risk of injuries and parents often pay top dollar to try to help their child get an advantage and stay healthy.  However, research shows that movement screens are not an accurate predictor of which athletes will get injured. 

Movement Screens - When To Use Them

While movement screens may not predict injuries accurately, they are still a valuable resource in certain instances. One population that movement screens can benefit are CrossFit athletes.  CrossFit movements require varying degrees of range of motion at different joints to be able to perform exercises as efficiently as possible. Exposing range of motion limitations using a movement screen can shed light on limitations that these athletes can work on to make their movements more comfortable, more efficient, and hopefully improve their performance in the gym.  

Think of it as more data that you can use to help better yourself.  Maybe the movement screen shows you that your ankle mobility is limited which can affect your squat.  You can then learn exercises to help improve your ankle mobility and be ready to improve your squat mechanics based on the positive changes you made to your mobility. With better mechanics comes better performance, and soon you may be setting a new personal record with your lift.

What Should CrossFit Movement Screens Focus On?

Movement screens for the CrossFit athlete must focus on various joints throughout the body, but should especially focus on mobility in the ankles, hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders.  When a physical therapist is performing a movement screen on an athlete, it is important that they fully understand the movements required of the sport.  While some physical therapists have a great understanding of the body, if they don’t regularly watch athletes snatch, do kipping pull-ups, or overhead squat, they likely won’t be able to pick apart the details as well as a physical therapist who has spent time learning and helping athletes correct these movements. Make sure you find someone who is well versed in the demands of CrossFit. 

If you are limited by your mobility in your CrossFit workouts, Shore Strength Physical Therapy and Sports Performance may be a good fit for you. E-mail ezra@shorestrengthpt.com to see how you can get started making improvements to how you move today.