The Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) is a movement-based evaluation system used to identify the underlying causes of pain and dysfunction. Rather than focusing on a single joint or symptom, the SFMA looks at how the entire body moves through a series of standardized patterns. These patterns include reaching, bending, twisting and balancing tasks that reveal whether mobility, stability or motor control issues are contributing to your pain.

During an SFMA, our provider guides you through each movement and observes the quality of motion. We pay attention to asymmetries, compensations and areas where movement is restricted. Based on the findings, we can differentiate between a mobility problem – such as tight muscles or restricted joints – and a stability or motor control problem, where certain muscles are not activating correctly. This information helps us design targeted interventions that address the root cause, not just the symptom.

SFMA assessments are valuable for athletes, people recovering from injury, and anyone experiencing recurrent pain without a clear cause. By understanding your movement patterns, we can prescribe exercises, manual therapy and other modalities to restore pain-free motion. The assessment may also indicate when further diagnostic imaging or referral is necessary.