Functional Movement Assessments: A Guide for Athletes

Functional Movement Assessments at WellnessDoctorRx: How Integrative Chiropractic Care Helps Athletes Prevent Injuries Before Pain Starts

Athletes often ask a smart question: “Can we catch problems early—before they turn into pain or a season-ending injury?” At WellnessDoctorRx (EP Wellness & Functional Medicine Clinic), the answer is usually yes, especially when athletes request functional movement assessments and those findings are used to guide an integrative chiropractic plan.

A functional movement assessment is a structured way to look at how you move—how you squat, hinge, step, lunge, balance, rotate, and stabilize. It’s not about “finding something wrong.” It’s about spotting small movement flaws and subclinical imbalances—issues that may not hurt today, but can lead to overuse injuries later if training continues on top of them. (Stanlick Chiropractic, 2025; 417 Spine, n.d.; AnySpine, 2024)

At WellnessDoctorRx, this prevention approach is often combined with:

• chiropractic adjustments (to restore joint motion and reduce mechanical stress)

• soft tissue care (to address muscle tension and movement restriction)

• corrective exercises (to retrain movement patterns and build stability)

• integrative support (like nutrition and recovery habits that help tissues heal and adapt)

That “full-system” strategy is a major reason athletes can stay consistent, train longer, and avoid recurring injuries. (Dallas Accident & Injury Rehab, n.d.; Hilltop Integrated Healthcare, n.d.; MyChiroforLife, n.d.)

Why Injuries Often Start Before Pain Shows Up

Many sports injuries do not occur in a single dramatic moment. Many build slowly, especially when the body is compensating.

Common causes include:

• repetition (running, lifting, throwing, cutting)

• small technique errors repeated thousands of times

• joint restrictions (hips, ankles, thoracic spine)

• weak stabilizers (core, pelvis, shoulder blade control)

• left-right imbalances

• fatigue and poor recovery

• training spikes (too much volume, too fast)

Your body is smart. It will “figure it out” and still let you compete. But that often means other areas take on extra stress—and over time, that can lead to tendon irritation, strains, joint pain, or nerve sensitivity. (Advanced Spine & Posture, n.d.; MyChiroforLife, n.d.)

What “Subclinical Imbalances” Look Like in Movement Screens

“Subclinical” just means it’s present but not yet painful.

A functional movement assessment can reveal patterns like:

• knees collapsing inward during a squat or landing

• hips shifting to one side during a hinge

• limited ankle mobility, causing foot and knee overload

• one shoulder hiking up during overhead movement

• trunk twisting or leaning during stepping

• poor single-leg balance and pelvic control

Many sports chiropractic clinics describe these as “subtle weaknesses” or early movement faults that can raise injury risk if ignored. (Stanlick Chiropractic, 2025; 417 Spine, n.d.; AnySpine, 2024)

How WellnessDoctorRx Connects Movement Testing to a Real Prevention Plan

A movement assessment is only valuable if it leads to a clear plan. WellnessDoctorRx content often emphasizes a team-based, integrative model that supports structure, movement quality, and whole-person recovery.

In WellnessDoctorRx clinical-style articles, Dr. Alexander Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC, is described as combining chiropractic care with integrative strategies—often including nutrition—so athletes and active people can recover and perform with better support.

What a Functional Movement Assessment Actually Measures

Most functional movement assessments focus on five big areas:

• Mobility: Can your joints move through healthy ranges?

• Stability: Can you control those ranges under load?

• Coordination: Do muscles fire in the right sequence?

• Symmetry: Is one side doing more work than the other?

• Efficiency: Is your movement smooth and well-controlled?

Common screen elements include:

• squat pattern

• hip hinge pattern

• lunge/step pattern

• single-leg balance and control

• trunk stability, breathing, and bracing

• shoulder mobility and thoracic rotation checks

WellnessDoctorRx also discusses gait analysis as a way to understand posture and movement, including its use in sports biomechanics to optimize movement and identify problems.

Why Integrative Chiropractic Care Helps “Fix the Why,” Not Just the Pain

Integrative chiropractic care supports movement-based prevention because it targets both:

1. The mechanical side (joint motion, alignment, tissue restriction)

2. The control side (nervous system timing, coordination, motor patterns)

Many resources describe chiropractic care as improving joint function, coordination, and balance—helping reduce injury risk for athletes. (MyChiroforLife, n.d.; Advanced Spine & Posture, n.d.)

WellnessDoctorRx also frames chiropractic care as supporting joint motion, alignment, and neuromuscular control, which helps people move with less stress.

Step-by-Step: How Movement Findings Turn Into Injury Prevention

Here is what prevention can look like at WellnessDoctorRx when an athlete requests a functional movement assessment.

Step 1: Identify the movement fault (before it hurts)

Examples:

• A runner shows pelvic drop and hip rotation on one side

• A lifter hinges poorly and overloads the lower back

• An overhead athlete compensates due to poor thoracic rotation

This is the early warning system part. (Stanlick Chiropractic, 2025; 417 Spine, n.d.)

Step 2: Find the root drivers

A good integrative assessment looks for “why”:

• joint restrictions (spine, hips, ankles, ribs)

• tissue tightness that changes mechanics

• weak stabilizers (deep core, glute med, scapular stabilizers)

• breathing/bracing habits that collapse under fatigue

• training patterns that keep reinforcing the compensation

WellnessDoctorRx describes using functional movement screens and core-stability testing to track progress and guide rehab.

Step 3: Restore motion where motion is missing

If joints are restricted, movement quality drops.

Care may include:

• chiropractic adjustments for the spine and extremities

• mobilization techniques

• guided mobility drills

Chiropractic resources commonly describe restoring proper joint motion and alignment to reduce stress and improve mechanics. (Advanced Spine & Posture, n.d.; Hilltop Integrated Healthcare, n.d.)

Step 4: Calm down overworked tissue and restore “slide and glide”

Soft tissue work can support movement by reducing excessive tension in areas like:

• hip flexors

• calves and feet

• hamstrings

• upper traps/pec minor (overhead athletes)

• thoracolumbar fascia (heavy lifters)

Step 5: Retrain the pattern with corrective exercise

This is where long-term prevention happens.

Corrective work often includes:

• hip stability drills (especially glute med control)

• core bracing + breathing integration

• single-leg stability and landing mechanics

• scapular control and shoulder endurance

• sport-specific technique tuning

WellnessDoctorRx content highlights using integrated rehabilitation and movement-based training approaches to restore function and reduce recurrence risk.

Step 6: Re-test and progress like training

The athlete’s plan should be measurable.

• re-check the same screen items

• confirm improved symmetry and control

• progress drills toward sport speed and real load

WellnessDoctorRx also discusses using outcome measurement tools to track functional progress over time.

Example: Pelvic Imbalances in Runners (A Classic “Hidden” Risk)

Overuse injuries in runners often show up as:

• hip pain

• IT band irritation

• shin splints

• knee pain

• low back tightness

A common hidden driver is poor pelvic control. If the pelvis drops or rotates too much on one side, it can change mechanics all the way down to the knee and foot. The KC Chiro describes prevention strategies that emphasize pelvic stability and regular care to reduce the risk of sports-related injuries. (The KC Chiro, n.d.)

At WellnessDoctorRx, this often aligns with content on posture, joint alignment, and movement-based strategies for active people and runners.

A prevention-focused plan may include:

• restoring hip and lumbar motion

• glute med strengthening and step-down control

• progressive loading and mileage planning

• running mechanics check (when appropriate)

• recovery and nutrition support

Why Posture and “Movement Quality” Matter for Athletic Longevity

Posture isn’t just about standing up straight. In sports, posture is:

• trunk position during cutting

• rib and shoulder control during overhead work

• hip hinge mechanics during lifting

• pelvic stability during running and jumping

WellnessDoctorRx emphasizes connecting chiropractic alignment, posture, and sports recovery to improve mobility and reduce strain.

Some WellnessDoctorRx content also describes advanced posture assessment tools that help identify alignment and muscle imbalance patterns more precisely.

Where Nutrition Fits (The “Integrative” Part Many Athletes Miss)

Athletes usually think of prevention only as training and mobility. But tissue recovery and resilience also depend on:

• protein intake for repair

• hydration and electrolytes

• sleep quality

• stress load

• inflammation control (food choices matter here)

WellnessDoctorRx highlights chiropractic care, along with nutritional and integrative strategies, as part of a more comprehensive wellness model.

This matters because even the best movement plan struggles if the body is under-fueled, sleep-deprived, or chronically inflamed.

A Simple Checklist: When to Request a Functional Movement Assessment

You don’t need pain to justify screening. Consider it if you notice:

• you always tighten up in the same spot after training

• one side feels weaker or less stable

• you keep repeating the same strain or flare-up

• the technique breaks down fast when you’re tired

• you’re increasing mileage, load, or intensity

• you’re returning after time off or injury

WellnessDoctorRx also supports the idea that proactive assessment and early correction can reduce downtime and support better performance.

Safety Note: A Screening Is Not the Same as a Diagnosis

A functional movement assessment is a screening tool, not a full diagnosis in itself. If you have:

• sharp or worsening pain

• swelling

• numbness/tingling

• weakness

• instability or giving way

…you should get a full evaluation. Integrative clinics often pair screening with deeper clinical exams and appropriate referrals when needed.

Bottom Line: At WellnessDoctorRx, Prevention Starts With How You Move

At WellnessDoctorRx, functional movement assessments help athletes identify imbalances before pain starts. Integrative chiropractic care then uses those findings to restore joint motion, calm overworked tissues, retrain movement patterns, and support recovery through whole-person strategies such as nutrition and lifestyle habits.

The big goal is simple:

• fewer injuries

• less missed training

• better biomechanics

• stronger, longer athletic longevity

That’s what allows athletes to keep building momentum—season after season.

References

417 Spine. (n.d.). Functional movement assessments for joint pain relief (Springfield, Missouri).

Advanced Spine & Posture. (n.d.). Sports injuries treated with chiropractic care.

AnySpine. (2024, October 1). Enhancing athletic performance: Chiropractic for athletes.

Dallas Accident & Injury Rehab. (n.d.). Integrating chiropractic care with sports medicine.

Hilltop Integrated Healthcare. (n.d.). Chiropractic care for athletes: Enhancing performance and preventing injuries.

MyChiroforLife. (n.d.). Prevention of sports injuries.

Stanlick Chiropractic. (2025). Sports injury chiropractor: Ultimate guide.

The KC Chiro. (n.d.). The athlete’s guide to preventative chiropractic care: Enhancing performance and longevity.

WellnessDoctorRx. (n.d.). Chiropractic and nutritional wellness: Integrative care.

WellnessDoctorRx. (n.d.). Integrative athletic chiropractic program: A holistic approach.

WellnessDoctorRx. (n.d.). Personal injury chiropractic El Paso for accident recovery.

WellnessDoctorRx. (n.d.). Sports injuries in El Paso and team recovery strategies.

WellnessDoctorRx. (n.d.). Walking gait, the spine, and back pain (El Paso, Texas).