Movement Health

Our journey with functional wellness begins with movement quality screening and education. Over the years, we’ve learned that movement health is about so much more than just bones, joints, and movement patterns.

Good movement health is a window into other areas of your wellness. Research shows that moving poorly can increase your risk of future musculoskeletal injuries. So, moving well is super important!

We evaluate movement health through a series of self-guided movements based on normal postures, positions, and tasks your body encounters daily. These screens identify movement quality issues in everyday activities – from carrying groceries or reaching for something on a high shelf to more intense activities like hiking, running, or competitive sports.

Movement Patterns

1. Toe Touch

2. Shoulder Mobility

3. Rotation

4. Squat

5. Balance

6. Shoulder Clearing

7. Spine Clearing

If any of these movements become problematic, we need to prioritize the one that, when corrected, will have the biggest impact. This targeted approach helps us make more effective recommendations and exercise programs.

We also need to monitor progress by rescreening the movements. This vital feedback ensures you're on the right path and allows you to adjust if you’re not seeing improvements. And there you have it! Movement health is fundamental to our overall wellness, serving as the foundation for everything we do. By focusing on movement quality and addressing any issues early, we can prevent injuries and enhance our overall health.

Toe Touch

The ability to touch your toes indicates good mobility through your hips, back, and lower body, in conjunction with proper stability from your core. It is a basic movement that is implemented in everyday activities like bending down to pick up an object or climbing stairs. If you have trouble touching your toes, it means that you are not using your hips, back, and core effectively, and this can cause undue stress on other parts of your body.

If you have trouble touching your toes then you are not using your hips, back and core effectively, which can place undue stress on other areas of your body. This type of stress will not only make it difficult to perform basic activities, but can also lead to problems in other parts of your body, like your back.

Improving your toe touch will give you the freedom and confidence in your ability to lift, bend and perform many daily activities efficiently.

Shoulder Mobility

Your ability to carry, push, pull, reach overhead, throw, run and even walk is influenced by the amount of motion and coordination you have in your upper body. And your shoulders are involved in almost every single upper body movement. 

However, when your shoulder mobility is compromised, performing simple tasks such as putting on your shirt, lifting an object, or washing your back, will most likely increase stress in other areas of your body. Even something as simple as grabbing a glass off the top shelf can become difficult. While limited shoulder mobility will not prevent you from lifting your arms overhead to grab the glass, it will force you to use less optimal movement to get the glass. 

It’s vital to maintain good upper body movement to ensure your shoulders can get into the correct positions and perform all the tasks required of them in an efficient and pain-free way and not overburden other areas of the body to compensate for lack of shoulder mobility.

Rotation

Upper and lower body mobility are key to overall musculoskeletal (MSK) health, but rotation is essential for both to move together and independently. Simple activities like looking over your shoulder, reaching for your seatbelt, or passing an object all require rotation. Rotation also lets you enjoy sports like golf and tennis, regain balance quickly, and react more effectively.

If one part of the body, like the hips, doesn’t rotate well, other areas compensate, leading to inefficient movement and pain. Poor rotation often indicates a disconnect between the upper and lower body involving the core.

Sometimes, it’s a simple mobility issue that’s easy to fix. Other times, it’s a core muscle activation problem, often following low back pain, leading to MSK dysfunction. Good rotation indicates not just that your upper back and hips can move, but also how well your core functions and how effectively you can transfer energy through your body for various tasks.

Squat

When you think of squatting, you might picture power lifters with heavy weights, but squatting is a basic movement for everyone. A healthy squat is necessary for many everyday activities.

In many cultures, a deep squat is even used as a resting position. Whether you’re sitting around a campfire, picking up laundry, or checking your tire pressure, squatting helps you get into the right position. Without the ability to squat correctly, other parts of your body would be under stress, trying to compensate for poor movement.

Not being able to squat properly can limit your overall mobility and stability. That’s why it’s often recommended to master squatting before moving on to more complex activities.

Balance

Balance is about maintaining a healthy equilibrium in all aspects of life, including your musculoskeletal (MSK) health.

Physical balance is crucial for your health, fitness, and safety. Being able to balance well on each leg gives you the confidence to perform various activities, from climbing stairs and stepping over toys to more challenging tasks like hiking.

Balance problems often arise after an injury and usually go unnoticed. The body compensates for these issues, but a single-leg balance deficit can contribute to other MSK problems, like low back and knee pain. Monitoring and addressing balance issues is key to rehabilitation. As balance improves, the overall system gets better and ready for more.

Poor balance increases physical and mental stress during movement, preventing participation in enjoyable activities.

Shoulder Clearing

Shoulder pain and shoulder-related issues are very common. If you experience pain during the Symmio shoulder testing, it could signal underlying problems in your shoulders, neck, or both.

Improving shoulder function involves identifying potential issues not just in the shoulders but also in surrounding areas. The neck, upper back, and core are key areas that directly affect shoulder health. These areas need to have the flexibility, stability, and strength to work with your shoulders for tasks like reaching and lifting overhead. Any deficiencies can place excessive strain on your shoulders.

That's why, when you experience shoulder pain, it’s important to also focus on improving the function of your back, neck, and core, in addition to doing shoulder-specific work.

Spine Clearing

If you haven’t experienced back pain, consider yourself lucky. The back is one of the most common areas for pain. Often, back pain is a symptom of problems elsewhere in the body. Your back just bears the brunt of it. Issues with flexibility, stability, and strength in your hips, upper back, and even ankles can put extra stress on your back.

For instance, bending, lifting, and twisting require a certain amount of hip and ankle mobility. If your hips and ankles don't move well, your back has to compensate, causing more stress.

This is why Symmio tests your overall movement capabilities. When you have back problems, we recommend a full evaluation of your entire body. Exercises to correct back issues don't just focus on the back but also address other areas of the body.