Movement is complex. A simple action like reaching your arm back to grab something on the table with a rotational motion involves more joints than you are consciously aware of. But at the same time, movement dysfunction usually presents itself in a certain pattern.
Too often, isolated or single-joint movement assessment is practised to in order to identify weakness or tightness of a muscle or group and then treated with isolated stretching or strengthening activities. This approach neglects the kinetic chain reaction of joints in relation to one another, narrowing the focus on small, discrete pieces of an integrated functional task or movement.
A more comprehensive and functional alternative movement assessment would be identifying impairments and dysfunctional movement patterns that diminish the quality of movement function. This approach allows us, as movement practitioners to see “the bigger picture” and find the missing link in the dysfunctional movement pattern as a whole.