"Our approach to any athletes issue is to figure out why the pain or problem is showing up and not strictly focusing on where the pain is. A lot of times pain is the last thing to show up."
Treating pain with movement!
Functional rehabilitation combines various techniques in an attempt to return an injured athlete or worker to an optimal level of performance.
BACKGROUND: The functional rehabilitation program includes strength, flexibility, and agility training as well as training focused on coordination of body party and motion to prepare the individual to return to full participation.
RISK FACTORS: Typically, functional rehabilitation has been applied to sports medicine, but this approach is also beneficial for individuals returning to work or basic activities of daily living after traumatic injuries.
PHYSICAL EXAM: A physical examination will be performed to assess reflexes, posture, balance, walking, muscle control, body stabilization during rest and movement, range of motion of joints, and any deficiencies or problems that may have contributed to the original injury.
DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS: Functional rehabilitation requires functional diagnostics, such as reviewing the athletes's techniques, movement capabilities, and secondary adaptation changes to other joints or muscles.
REHAB MANAGEMENT: The overall goal of functional rehabilitation is to train the patient using 3-D movements to prepare the whole body to return to daily activities and sports.
The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) is a series of 7 full-body movement tests designed to assess fundamental patterns of movement such as bending and squatting in those with known musculoskeletal pain. When the clinical assessment is initiated from the perspective of the movement pattern, the clinician has the opportunity to identify meaningful impairments that may be seemingly unrelated to the main musculoskeletal complaint, but contribute to the associated disability. This concept, known as Regional Interdependence, is the hallmark of the SFMA.
Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization® (DNS) is a manual and rehabilitative approach to optimize movement based upon the principle that development of human motor function in early childhood is genetically pre‐determined and follows a predictable pattern (developmental kinesiology). These motor patterns or programs are formed as the central nervous system matures; enabling the infant to control posture, achieve erect posture against gravity, and to move purposefully through muscular activity.
Understanding developmental kinesiology provides a framework to appreciate the regional interdependence and the inter‐linking of the skeleton, joints and muscles during movement and the importance of training both the dynamic and stabilizing function of muscles.
The DNS® approach provides functional tools to assess and activate the intrinsic spinal stabilizers in order to optimize the movement system for both pre‐habilitation and rehabilitation of injuries and performance.