Assessments are key to determine what exercise or intervention you need at the right time.

Otherwise you’ll be throwing random things at the wall and hoping they will stick.

Not only will the assessments provide you with an indication of how to intervene, but it will also provide you insight as to where the joint is in space and the shape of it.

For example, if you have a limitation in external rotation at the hip, you may be looking at innominates that are internally rotated or an pelvis that is dumping forward.

Gaining the measurements on both sides provides you with an x-ray vision as to where everything is so you can reverse engineer a way to improve the adaptability of that area.

Let’s go over 2 assessment measurements that I like to use which provide me with a lot of information.

Youtube Video: The Straight Leg Raise

Youtube Video: Hip Flexion

When I work with clients, I will often get them to send me videos of these movements from both sides and sometimes an aerial view to see how they deviate.

For example, if they are flexing their hip and their knee starts to deviate out towards the shoulder, that tells me that they are running out of room in the hip and are compensating to get around it.

I also generally like to put their feet on the wall because it constrains the leg that isn’t moving to prevent any kind of rolling or compensating. 

Sometimes you will see when someone is running out of room, that their stationary leg will lift or turn out to the side. By fixing the leg on the wall, you are not allowing this to happen which in turn provides us with the most reliable results.

It is one thing to assess, it is another to ensure that they are reliable.

If you want to dive deeper into assessment or learn more techniques to ensure reliable results then click here to join my EVOLVE Biomechanics Mentorship.