Movement Screening and Postural Assessment
This domain tests whether you can observe posture and movement systematically, distinguish a compensation from its cause, and decide what to screen next. Exam items favor interpretation: given a finding, what is the likely biomechanical contributor?
Core rules
- Static posture uses a plumb line: earlobe, acromion, greater trochanter, knee joint line, and lateral malleolus should be near vertical in standing.
- Dynamic screens-overhead squat, single-leg squat, push-up, gait-sample mobility, stability, and motor control under load.
- Screen bilaterally and compare sides; asymmetry matters more than a single "perfect" position.
- Observe from anterior, lateral, and posterior views; check foot position, knee tracking, pelvic tilt, trunk lean, and arm position.
- A screen is not a diagnosis. Findings are hypotheses to test with range-of-motion, strength, or provocation tests.
- Mobility restrictions often masquerade as stability problems, and vice versa.
Worked example
An athlete's overhead squat shows heels rising, excessive forward trunk lean, and arms falling forward. Heels rising suggests limited ankle dorsiflexion; forward lean may be a compensation to keep the center of mass over the base. Arms falling forward may reflect limited shoulder flexion or thoracic extension. The reasoning chain is: observe deviation, identify the joint or segment that cannot meet the demand, then test that limitation directly rather than cueing "chest up" alone.
Traps
- Treating one screen as a diagnosis.
- Correcting the visible site instead of the limiting segment.
- Ignoring the feet and base of support.
- Assuming asymmetry is always pathological.
- Using a loaded screen before establishing pain-free range.