Military Review English Edition September-October 2014 | Page 21

PHYSICAL READINESS TRAINING

MILITARY REVIEW  September-October 2014

The executive summary cited “an apparent disproportionate musculoskeletal injury risk from these
demanding programs, particularly for novice participants, resulting in lost duty time, medical treatment
and extensive rehabilitation.”

U.S. Army Maj. Roger Miranda with the 1st Cavalry Division lifts a
barbell while doing thrusters during the CrossFit Open competition at Fort Hood, Texas, 5 April 2013. The exercise, repeated
several times, works muscles in the upper and lower body.

The FMS could be part of the solution to mitigating these injury concerns. All soldiers should be
tested biannually (as with the APFT) to identify
new or chronic dysfunctional movement patterns.
Soldiers who test high for potential injury should be
limited in the functional movements and intensities
of functional movements they perform until corrective exercise results in an improved FMS score.
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Photo by Sgt. Quentin Johnson, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. PAO

effective tools for evaluating movement. A significant predictive factor for musculoskeletal injuries, as
demonstrated by Mr. Cook, is poor movement patterns. For individuals with no current pain or musculoskeletal injury, fitness professionals can administer the
Functional Movement Screen (FMS), described as—
a ranking and grading system that documents
movement patterns that are key to normal
function. By screening these patterns, the
FMS readily identifies functional limitations
and asymmetries. These are issues that can
reduce the effects of functional training
and physical conditioning and distort body
awareness. The FMS generates the Functional
Movement Screen Score, which is used to
target problems and track progress. This
scoring system is directly linked to the most
beneficial corrective exercises to restore mechanically sound movement patterns.14
For individuals with pain or injury, a healthcare
provider can administer a tool known as the Selective
Functional Movement Assessment.
Scientific literature supporting the efficacy,
accuracy, and reliability of these tools is large and
continues to grow.15 They are used by organizations
such as the National Football League, USA Track
& Field (the national governing body for track and
field, long-distance running, and race walking in the
United States), and over 20 professional sports teams
and U.S. government and military organizations.16
The FMS is inexpensive and easy to administer. It
requires little more in terms of resources (time and
personnel) than a standard unit-level APFT. Most
important, it will provide commanders with quantifiable injury potential data that should result in
better soldier care and outcomes.
The U.S. Army lacks a method for predicting
the likelihood of injury even though the increased
risk of musculoskeletal injuries is the leading argument against high-intensity workouts. In 2011,
the Uniformed Services University Consortium for
Health and Military Performance in collaboration
with the American College of Sports Medicine
released an executive summary detailing positive
and negative characteristics of “extreme conditioning
programs,” finishing with qualified recommendations
for their continued use by military populations.17