Functional Movement Screening: A Missing Link in Injury Prevention and Return to Sport

In elite sport and clinical practice alike, there’s a growing recognition that injury risk isn’t simply about contact, luck, or even range of motion and strength—it’s about movement competency. Functional Movement Screening (FMS) emerged as a key tool to assess how well someone moves, providing valuable insight into injury risk, rehabilitation readiness, and long-term resilience.

You can learn all about the FMS in the level 1 online course here, or as included in the entire FMS Academy suite of 39 courses, 80 hours and 6 certifications, available here.

Why Functional Movement Screening Matters

Unlike diagnostic imaging or isolated ROM or strength tests, FMS looks at how the whole body moves together—across joints, planes, and tasks. It's a tool that shines a light on asymmetries, limitations, and dysfunctional patterns that often fly under the radar.

Consider this: athletes post-ACL reconstruction are frequently cleared for return to sport based on time elapsed or strength measures. Yet, research consistently shows that many of them fail even basic functional tests like the Y Balance Test or the FMS itself—even after receiving surgical clearance.

In fact, one study (Garrison et al., 2015) found that athletes who couldn’t achieve symmetry in single-leg dynamic balance tests at 3 months post-ACL reconstruction were unlikely to achieve adequate hop test scores later in rehab. This highlights the predictive power of early functional screening in guiding rehab and safe return to sport.

What Functional Screening Can Reveal

Functional screening identifies:

• Compensatory movement strategies

• Asymmetrical stability or mobility

• Deficits in neuromuscular control

• Motor pattern disruptions due to pain, fear, or previous injury

These elements don’t show up on an MRI, but they show up in how an athlete squats, lunges, or balances on one leg. And they matter—especially when movements are loaded, accelerated, or performed at game speed - see my earlier article regarding recurrent hamstring injuries.

As one platform presentation noted (Butler et al., 2014), FMS and Y Balance Testing revealed significant deficits in athletes who were "cleared" to return to play. It wasn’t just about performance—it was about risk.

The In-Line Lunge Screen

FMS and Injury Risk Prediction

While some argue FMS is not a crystal ball for injury prediction, it does what it’s designed to do: screen for movement inefficiency and create a baseline. When used alongside clinical reasoning and progressive load tolerance testing, it adds robustness to injury prevention strategies.

In fact, Lehr et al. (2013) reported a 17x higher injury risk in athletes with multiple movement dysfunctions on FMS tests—a statistic that underscores the importance of comprehensive screening.

Movement is a Window into Readiness

True readiness isn’t defined by a calendar date. It’s defined by:

• Motor control under load

• Symmetry under stress

• Confidence in movement

This is where FMS thrives. It's not a pass-fail judgment, but a conversation starter—about what needs work, what has improved, and what risks remain. You can learn all about the FMS in the level 1 online course here, or as included in the entire FMS Academy suite of 39 courses, 80 hours and 6 certifications, available here. Want yourself screened with the FMS? Book a time here.