For those wanting to improve function and movement in their every day life or their sporting/gym life, bio-mechanics is the major aspect that should be focused on. Strength and endurance will get your performance so far but if there is a fundamental floor in the bodies bio-mechanics then there will always be limitations in the way you move and ultimately the way you perform.
If the function of a specific part of the body is not performing as it should it is most certainly going to affect other parts of the body and ultimately performance. Research into the links of the lower to upper body have talked about slings and trains. These are correlations that the fascia (connective tissue) in the body links the myofascial tissue from the left hamstring to the right shoulder for example. So, if you have pain or dysfunction in your left shoulder it could be that there is an issue with your right hamstring.
Many studies have shown that over 60% of bio-mechanical dysfunction stems from the pelvis and hip area, this makes perfect sense when you look at the body and realise that the pelvis is the major link between the upper and lower body. Therefore, a dysfunction here can cause problems in the ascending plane (pelvis and up) or a descending plane (pelvis and lower). Bearing this in mind assessing and treating dysfunction in this area can have a major influence on how the shoulders or ankles move.
It is all well and good saying we can assess and treat these dysfunctions within the body but as therapists or humans in general we can’t see the intrinsic (internal) issues with the naked eye so we need to use tests and extrinsic (external) visual queues to see where there is dysfunction. This also gives the client a visual cue to see where they are making the improvements.
There are several tests that can be used for the assessment of function and these are very simple and great to have in your locker to self-test and see where improvements have been made. If you really work on the biomechanics within your body then the body will move more freely and you will find that squat, overhead squat or even that simple act of picking an object off the floor so much easier and more efficient.
If you would like to learn more please get in touch for your bio-mechanical assessment and see yourself move freely!