Posture-Based Functional Testing - An Excerpt from chapter 4

Chapter 4: Basic Functional Testing

“… it isn’t enough to just follow the logic of my argument. You’ve got to immediately experience the effect. The shock of recognition is essential. It goes well beyond the intellectual perception and goes right to the emotions and instincts. You must feel your own body responding.” - Pete Egoscue

Posture analysis is a great way to figure out which areas of your body to explore. However, I do agree with Pete when he says that you need to feel your own body responding. This concept is at the core of functional testing.

Functional testing offers a window into how your body moves, building on the insights gained from your posture analysis. It helps us distinguish between deviations that are dysfunctions and those that are compensations. Every posture exercise can double as a functional test, shedding light on your body's intricacies in thousands of different ways.

In the upcoming sections of this chapter, we'll walk you through two straightforward functional tests. But before we can begin functional testing, I always like to lay down these rules of the road:

• No Pain, No Gain Isn't the Goal: If a test causes pain, do not push through it. Pain is a signal that something isn't right.

• Move Slowly: Exercise caution when getting into position and initiate new movements gradually.

• Existing Pain: Be mindful of any pre-existing pain and how it responds to the test.

• Reverse If Necessary: If pain worsens during a test, slowly return to the starting position in the reverse order of steps.

Here's the basic process I use:

1. Select a Functional Test: In this chapter, I’ve provided two tests that are both simple and informative. In a clinical setting, my choice of tests will be informed by the deviations I discover during a posture analysis and from other background information.

2. Perform the Exercise: Pay close attention to range of motion, any discomfort, muscle weaknesses, or involuntary movements during the test.

3. Interpreting the Results: Depending on what I observe during the test, I can draw various conclusions. More about this below.

4. Recording Your Observations: Keep notes or even take a video of a test to analyze movements better, including the location and intensity of any pain, joint positions, and involuntary movements.

5. After a week of consistent posture therapy, I retest to gauge progress during our next session. These tests help guide the course of treatment and serve as benchmarks for progress. We then perform functional tests regularly to track improvement.

Additional Notes on Interpreting Results

There are four basic clues to look for when interpreting the results of any functional test:

• Limited range of motion indicates a dysfunction in that joint.

• If other joints move involuntarily, they are compensating for the dysfunctional joint.

• Pain in the targeted joint with a full range of motion could indicate compensation for dysfunctions elsewhere, even though this joint is not dysfunctional.

• Pain with a restricted range of motion suggests not only dysfunction but also compensation in the targeted joint.

A skilled posture therapist can begin to stitch all these different pieces of information together with each new functional test in order to guide the creation of custom posture therapy routines.

Now, let's dive into two sample functional tests, applying the process we've just outlined. I encourage you to try them out and see what you learn!

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