Chapter 6 Movement Assessments Flashcards
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Explain the rationale for performing movement assessments.
- Understand the difference between transitional and dynamic movement assessments.
- Determine potential muscle imbalances based on certain movement compensations.
- Design a corrective exercise strategy to improve movement impairments.
The Scientific Rationale for
Movement Assessments
Movement assessments, based on sound human movement science, are the cornerstone of a comprehensive and integrated assessment process.
Muscle balance
Establishing normal length-tension relationships, which ensures the proper length and strength of each muscle around a joint.
Kinetic chain
“Kinetic” denotes the force transference from the nervous system to the muscular and skeletal systems as well as from joint to joint, and “chain” refers to the interconnected linkage of all joints in the body.
Overactive/ underactive muscles
The terms “overactive” and “underactive” are used in this text to refer to the activity level of a muscle relative to another muscle or muscle group, not necessarily to its own normal functional capacity. Any muscle, whether in a shortened or lengthened state, can be underactive or weak because of altered length-tension relationships or altered reciprocal inhibition (chapter three)
Alterations in muscle activity will change the biomechanical motion of the joint and lead to increased stress on the tissues of the joint, and eventual injury
Types of Movement Assessments
Transitional movement assessments
Dynamic movement assessments.
Transitional movement
assessments
Assessments that involve movement without a change in one’s base of support.
Dynamic Movement
Assessments
Assessments that involve movement with a change in one’s base of support.
Transitional Movement Assessments
- Overhead squat
- Single-leg squat
- Push-up
- Standing cable row
- Standing overhead dumbbell press
- Star balance excursion
- Upper extremity assessments
OVERHEAD SQUAT ASSESSMENT
This is designed to assess dynamic flexibility, core strength, balance, and overall
neuromuscular control.
These results suggest that the movement impairments observed during this transitional movement assessment may be the result of alterations in available joint motion, muscle activation, and overall neuromuscular control that can point toward people with elevated injury risk.
Compensations: Anterior View
- Feet.
a. Do the feet flatten and/or turn out? - Knees:
a. Do the knees move inward (adduct and internally rotate)?
b. Do the knees move outward (abduct and externally rotate)?
OSA
Compensations:
Lateral View
- LPHC:
a. Does the low back arch (excessive spinal extension)?
b. Does the low back round (excessive spinal flexion)?
c. Does the torso lean forward excessively? - Shoulder:
a. Do the arms fall forward?
OSA
Compensations:
Posterior View
(see chart for review)
- Feet:
a. Do the feet flatten (excessive pronation)?
b. Do the heels rise off the floor? - LPHC:
a. Is there an asymmetric weight shift?
MODIFICATIONS TO THE OVERHEAD SQUAT ASSESSMENT
There are a couple of modifications to the overhead squat assessment that the health and fitness professional can make to gain a clearer picture of the possible overactive and underactive muscles. These include elevating the individual’s heels or performing the overhead squat assessment with the hands on the hips.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE OVERHEAD SQUAT ASSESSMENT
1. Elevating Heels
Elevating the heels does two primary things. First, it places the foot and ankle
complex in plantarflexion, which decreases the stretch (or extensibility) required
from the plantar flexor muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus). This is important
because deviation through the foot and ankle complex can cause many of the
deviations to the kinetic chain, especially the feet, knees, and LPHC.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE OVERHEAD SQUAT ASSESSMENT
Elevating Heels E
cont.
Second, it alters the client’s center of gravity (CoG) by decreasing the base of support (less or shorter contact surface of the foot on the ground) and shifting the CoG forward. When the CoG is moved forward, it allows the individual to sit more upright or lean back more. This is also important because with less forward lean there will be less hip flexion needed and less emphasis placed on the LPHC. In all, this modification allows the health and fitness professional to see the influence the foot and ankle have on the individual’s deviations.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE OVERHEAD SQUAT ASSESSMENT
2. Hands on Hips
Placing the hands on the hips directly removes the stretch placed on the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major and minor, and coracobrachialis and requires less demand from the intrinsic core stabilizers. This allows the health and fitness professional to see the influence the upper body has on the individual’s compensations.
