Unlocking Your Movement Potential: Understanding Your Injury Screen and What Comes Next

Whether you're a teen athlete, an active adult, or a senior wanting to stay independent and strong, your recent Injury Screen at Emery Physical Therapy is a crucial step toward optimizing your movement and preventing injury. But the screen is just the beginning. This blog will help you revisit what each test measures, why it matters, and most importantly — how the personalized exercises we've prescribed will help you improve.

Why We Test

Every test you completed is carefully selected to assess key areas of mobility, balance, strength, and coordination — the pillars of safe, efficient movement. These tests also help us spot compensations, asymmetries, or limitations that may increase your risk for injury.

Let’s break it down by age group.

For Seniors: Building Stability and Independence

As we age, maintaining balance and mobility becomes essential for preventing falls and staying independent. Here’s what we looked at:

1. Timed Up and Go Test (TUG):
Measures how quickly you can stand, walk 10 feet, and sit again. A slower time may indicate reduced mobility or fall risk.

Your Exercise: Sit-to-stand movements using arm support, and tandem (heel-to-toe) walking to improve leg strength and coordination.

2. 30-Second Sit to Stand Test:
Assesses lower body strength and endurance — critical for daily tasks like getting out of a chair or car.

Your Exercise: Wall squats and step-ups help strengthen your glutes and quads for better performance.

3. 4-Stage Balance Test:
Evaluates balance through increasingly difficult standing positions. Struggles here may point to a risk for instability or unsteadiness.

Your Exercise: Single-leg stance and marching in place retrain your balance system.

4. Functional Reach Test:
Assesses how far you can reach without losing your balance. Limited reach could lead to difficulty with everyday tasks like grabbing items or dressing.

Your Exercise: Standing arm reach with weight shift and seated trunk rotations will improve dynamic balance and core control.

For Adults: Correcting Compensations Before They Become Painful

Functional limitations or movement compensations don’t always hurt — until they do. The adult screen focuses on identifying these early:

1. Overhead Squat Test:
Reveals mobility issues in the ankles, hips, or shoulders. Compensations here often signal joint restrictions or muscle imbalances.

Your Exercise: Wall-facing squats and ankle dorsiflexion stretches restore mobility and promote better movement mechanics.

2. Wall Angel Test:
Assesses posture and upper body mobility, especially through the shoulders and thoracic spine.

Your Exercise: Foam roller thoracic extensions and wall slides with chin tucks help counteract the effects of sitting and poor posture.

3. Seated Toe Touch Test:
Evaluates hamstring and low back flexibility.

Your Exercise: Seated hamstring stretches and supine leg raises improve posterior chain mobility.

4. Single-Leg Balance Test (Eyes Open/Closed):
Highlights balance and proprioception. Difficulty here might lead to ankle sprains or poor control during dynamic activity.

Your Exercise: Standing arm reaches with weight shifts and core stability drills enhance your balance and body awareness.

For Teens: Enhancing Athletic Performance and Preventing Injury

Young athletes are at high risk for injury due to rapid growth, sports demands, and training errors. These screens focus on coordination, symmetry, and control.

1. Y Balance Test:
Checks asymmetry in reach across three directions. Differences >4 cm between legs increase injury risk, especially to the ACL.

Your Exercise: Star excursion drills and single-leg RDLs (Romanian Deadlifts) help build symmetrical control.

2. Plank Hold Test:
Assesses core endurance, a foundational component of all movement.

Your Exercise: Dead bugs with bands and planks with shoulder taps build deep core strength and stability.

3. Broad Jump Test:
Measures lower body power and landing control. Short distances or poor landings can point to strength or coordination issues.

Your Exercise: Box jumps and eccentric squats improve explosive power and landing technique.

4. Tuck Jump Test:
Looks for jumping form flaws like knee collapse (valgus) or poor alignment — common in ACL injuries.

Your Exercise: Mini band squats and paused tuck jumps improve jump control and alignment under fatigue.

Making Progress Stick: Your Next Steps

We know the real challenge begins after the screen. Consistency with your corrective exercises is the key to turning insights into improvement. These exercises aren’t generic — they’re chosen based on your results to help you:

• Improve mobility and flexibility

• Correct asymmetries

• Build strength and endurance

• Prevent future injuries

You don’t need to spend hours a day doing them — just 10-15 minutes, a few times a week, can make a major impact.

Stay Connected and Accountable

We’re here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions about your results or need a refresher on how to do your exercises, give us a call or stop by. Want more tips and videos? Follow us on Instagram @Emery.Physical.Therapy for demos, form checks, and inspiration from our PT team.

Final Thoughts

The Injury Screen is more than just a performance check — it’s a roadmap. Whether you scored “Above Average” or “Needs Improvement,” the important thing is that you now have a guide to move better, feel stronger, and stay injury-free.

Start where you are. Do what you can. And know that each rep, each stretch, each balance drill — is a step toward your healthiest self.