Our therapists at Thrive Physical Therapy recently returned from a weekend course in New Orleans, Louisiana called Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA).
The SFMA is “a comprehensive assessment used to classify movement patterns and direct manual therapy and therapeutic exercise interventions.” During the course, our therapists learned how to bring a patient through a movement pattern baseline assessment in order to be able to better observe how each person moves in relationship to their own body.
In performing the SFMA, the therapist is able to determine the most dysfunctional region that is affecting the patient’s movement and better direct us in developing our treatment plan for them.
Most patients come in to our clinic with a medical diagnosis. The medical diagnosis is very important and helps guide us in contraindications to treatment, as well as giving us an understanding of healing times, movement restrictions, etc. The one thing that the medical diagnosis doesn’t do, is give a specific treatment plan.
We all know that the primary location of your pain is not always the source of where your pain is coming from. A good example of this is pain in the knee caused by hip problems or pain in the hip caused by something going on in your back. This term is commonly referred to as “regional interdependence” and is the key concept behind the SFMA.
We have already noticed significant results in our patients while utilizing this assessment technique. We have already seen significant improvements in our patients’ movements and decreased pain symptoms, just by being able to specifically identify where our treatment should focus for each patient.
If you are suffering from pain or feel as if you have a restricted mobility, call us today to schedule your assessment. You can reach us at 337-990-5621 or via email at info@thriveptla.com
We are here to help you live a life free from pain and return to doing the things that you love!