​The selective functional assessment (SFMA) is an assessment designed to classify movement patterns and direct manual therapy and therapeutic exercise interventions. The SFMA guides the clinician to identify individual movement pattern deficiencies and the provocation of pain within movement patterns that is unique to each individual. For example, three different low back pain patients can have three different movement profiles demonstrating different levels of competency with movement pattern mobility and stability. This provides a method to look beyond the patient’s structure or medical diagnosis to form the best, most efficient and effective path to musculoskeletal treatment and exercise intervention.

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