Medical practitioners use Functional Muscle Assessment to diagnose a patient, and to come up with a course of treatment that will best help that patient. In order to assess the patient, the practitioner must test the patient's muscles, then prescribe a treatment plan. Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe rehabilitation therapy to help the patient regain full muscle usage.
Assessment of Muscles
The main objective of the medical practitioner in the assessment phase is to talk to the patient and find out what structural problems he is experiencing. Then, the practitioner will examine the patient and test the muscles to narrow down and isolate the problem.
The practitioner will use the assessment period to compare the injured body part to its corresponding healthy partner (assuming the injury is to a limb or other extremity that can be compared). The practitioner will do this by testing the muscle, finding the weakness, then checking the patient's range of motion and functionality.
Next, the practitioner will discuss the options with the patient, and explain the plan of action that will help the patient return to her pre-injured state.
Muscle Testing
The practitioner will test the patient's muscles and spend a good amount of time using a "hands-on" approach to diagnosis, rather than a strictly observational approach.
The tests will include a comparison of the injured muscle to the healthy muscle on the opposite side, a range of motion test, strength test and a functional test. These test results will help the practitioner better diagnose the patient, and come up with a good rehabilitation plan.
The range of motion test will test the muscle's capability to reach the expected "normal" range of motion. It will be compared to the other side of the body to see if there are any pre-existing abnormalities to the range of motion that may affect both sides of the body, so the practioner and the rehabilitation therapist will know what degree of a range of motion to expect the patient to return to.
The strength test will measure the strength of the muscle in question. The practitioner will provide resistance to the muscle and the patient will work against the practitioner to measure the strength of the muscle. Depending on the ability of the patient to resist the practitioner, the practioner will give the patient a muscle rating on a scale of 1 to 5: 5 is injury-free normal strength and 1 is the inability to move the muscle at all.
Depending on the strength of the patient, the practioner may use a functional test to observe how well the patient can perform everyday functions around the house. The goal is to have a muscle that is able to perform as normal
Rehabilitation
The practitioner will write up a prescription for rehabilitation for the patient. Depending on the severity of the injury and the patient's ability to perform normal functions, the rehabilitation can vary from simply performing exercises on the patient's own at home, to attending sessions with a physical therapist several times a week for a set period of time.
The goal of the rehabilitation is to facilitate the patient's ability to get the muscle back to its pre-injury strength and function in a safe and timely fashion. This will include flexibility and weight training, as well as stretching, and possibly the use of modalities (including ultrasound and electronic stimulation), if needed.
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