Functional Movement Assessment & Corrective Exercise Flashcards

Which corrective breathing technique is most beneficial for a client with chronic pain who exhibits upper chest breathing and breath-holding patterns during exercise?

Answer: Diaphragmatic breathing retraining to restore intra-abdominal pressure and reduce sympathetic dominance

Dysfunctional breathing patterns elevate sympathetic tone and impair intra-abdominal pressure; diaphragmatic retraining restores normal respiratory mechanics and nervous system regulation.

A client with scapular dyskinesis demonstrates winging of the medial border during a push-up plus. Which primary muscle weakness is most responsible?

Answer: Serratus anterior

The serratus anterior protracts and upwardly rotates the scapula during push-up plus; weakness allows the medial border to wing away from the thorax under load.

What is the most appropriate exercise for a client in the early stages of corrective programming for anterior pelvic tilt?

Answer: Dead bug exercise targeting deep core activation while maintaining neutral lumbar spine

The dead bug develops deep core stabilizer activation (transverse abdominis, multifidus) in a neutral spine position, directly addressing the muscle inhibition that underlies anterior pelvic tilt.

Which assessment finding during a push-up test indicates insufficient shoulder stability for progressing to overhead pressing movements?

Answer: Scapular winging, humeral internal rotation, or loss of neutral spine during the movement

Scapular winging, humeral internal rotation, and spinal deviation during a push-up indicate rotator cuff and scapular stabilizer deficits that must be corrected before overhead loading.

In a client post-total knee replacement (TKR), what is the most important functional milestone before beginning stair-climbing training?

Answer: Return of full passive knee extension and at least 90° of active knee flexion

Full passive extension prevents gait deviations and contracture, while 90° of active flexion is the minimum range needed to safely clear each step during stair climbing.

Which principle guides the correct sequencing of corrective and functional exercises in a session for a client with movement dysfunction?

Answer: Inhibit tight/overactive muscles first, activate inhibited muscles second, then integrate patterns under progressive load

The inhibit-activate-integrate sequence ensures overactive muscles are released before trying to activate their inhibited antagonists, creating the neuromuscular environment needed for proper movement integration.