A Pilot Study: Effects of 5-week hamstring training on Functional Movement Screen scores

Introduction. The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) can be used by clinicians to assess movement and asymmetries in their clients. Understanding FMS composite and subtest scores can be a useful way for clinicians to monitor risk of injury. The purpose of this study was to identify if eccentric hamstring stretching and Nordic hamstring curls could improve movement, FMS scores, and active straight leg raise range of motion. Methods. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of high-school athletes. All subjects participated in the intervention, performing the FMS screen pre- and post-Nordic curls and stretching. Results. This pilot study suggests that the intervention may impact both FMS scores and active straight leg raise range of motion. Discussion. Clinicians can use this information to identify and fix these asymmetries in their athletes, minimizing risk of injury, but more research still needs to be done with larger sample sizes.