Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA)
Chiropractic
OUR CHIROPRACTOR IS CERTIFIED IN THE SELECTIVE FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT ASSESSMENT (SFMA)
Here at Ravenswood Chiropractic & Wellness Center, our doctor is certified in the SFMA diagnostic system to find the source of your pain. Selective Functional Movement Assessment (or SFMA for short) is a diagnostic system to determine what is causing the patient’s pain. Instead of focusing on the source of the pain, SFMA looks at seven different fundamental movement patterns in the human body to find the root cause of the symptoms of the pain instead of just focusing on area of the body where the pain is presenting. By using this logical system to examine the possible dysfunction of movement patterns, our doctor can determine if the root cause is a problem with the patient’s mobility or stability or motor control.
Why do we use SFMA?
The main reason that we use SFMA in our diagnoses is because, quite simply, it gets great results for our patients. Many other types of diagnostic systems focus on the source of the pain and don’t go any further than that area. SFMA is a more comprehensive approach to pain treatment and recovery. By looking at all of the factors that may have caused the pain, we can properly address the original source of the pain instead of trying to treat the end result of the source of dysfunction.
The residual effect of pain due to one particular type of movement dysfunction can possibly lead to dysfunction and/or impaired movement elsewhere in the body. For instance, if you develop an injury in the leg, knee, or foot, you may compensate by adjusting your movement so subtly that you don’t realize the change. These changes in movement may lead to poor posture or and adjustment in your stride. Then, one day you notice pain in your low back or neck. But does the back or neck pain mean that there is a problem with your back or neck itself? Or does the true source of the pain originate somewhere else? It’s important to see how other body movements are affecting your back or neck before focusing solely on those areas.
This is just an example to illustrate how SFMA differs from other diagnostic methods, which may lead to recommendations for back or neck surgery to fix that pain—even if the true source of dysfunction lies elsewhere in the body and can be addressed with much more conservative (and effective) options than surgery.
When do we use SFMA?
We use SFMA methodology to treat all types of patients, from those with chronic pain to patients suffering from pain due to sports injuries or accidents. SFMA is an efficient method for discovering the source of pain in top performing athletes as well as it is for diagnosing pain in people trying to develop healthier habits. The main point of using this method is to exhaust all possible leads when investigating your pain and to find ways to remedy the original problem. Not only does this method help alleviate the resulting pain, but it allows us to provide you with exercises and stretches that can help you address the root cause of the pain and begin to correct those dysfunctions that lead to other pain.
Don’t wonder about the source of your pain any longer. Call Ravenswood Chiropractic & Wellness Center, Chicago at 773.878.7330 today to schedule an initial appointment for your comprehensive exam so we can begin focusing on treating the primary source of your pain.
