What is an example of a movement impairment?
One commonly seen example of movement impairment is shown above. All of us sit down and stand up several times daily, which is in essence, a functional squat. Generally, the photo shown on the left is a more optimal alignment/movement pattern. This person likely has more balanced strength & flexibility than the person on the right.
If the person on the right is also having pain moving between sit to stand (and other similar functional movements), then this movement should be directly addressed and become part of a PT treatment.
In keeping with the example above, we may also see this same individual habitually sit in a position similar to the picture shown below. This would be an example of the influence of static postures on the movement system. As this photo is somewhat of an exaggerated position, it’s easy to see how sitting this way for long stretches of time would contribute to further muscle imbalances.
PT treatment for this individual would include education on improved seated positioning, plus retraining of the functional squat or sit-to-stand pattern to minimize stress on the painful structures. This helps to reduce pain short term and hopefully form a more optimal movement pattern to prevent return of symptoms in the future. Treatment would also address deficits in mobility (joint or soft tissue) and neuromuscular control that are contributing factors to pain.
