FMS Potentially Pointless?

An FMS test is known as a Functional Movement Screen which is used to determine muscle imbalances. I have spoken with a few trainers of different national teams and all of them have told me the same thing. I explained to them about how we are learning about FMS in school and they all laughed. They explained to me that FMS is pointless and will be forgetten in a few years after the scientists realize how useless it is.

Generally FMS is used for high performance athletes. This is mainly because it is a waste of time for younger and lower level athletes who have not achieved anything in the sport yet. It takes time and effort from higher level trainers who quite frankly don't want to waste time with recreational athletes. For many sports, when you make national team you get tested and you udnergo the FMS. However all of these athletes have created imbalances based on their sport. For example a gymnast will normally have a rounded back  which is called uppercrossed syndrome. This is good for gymnastics because it helps keep us tight when doing many skills as well as keeps our head in while flipping so the load does not travel to our back and hurt our spine. This syndrome scores very poorly in a FMS screen however.  Another example would be for hockey. Hockey players tend to have externally rotated hips because of the way they have to skate. This again is scored poorly in an FMS. So why are athletes with compensations that help their sport, compared to a "ideal" athlete, which does not exist? If there was a separate FMS different for each sport that would make lots of sense. You can say that soccer players will have tight hip flexors and adductors compared to Abductors and that is ok. You can say that skeleton athletes have upper crossed syndrome as well and that is ok. What scientists in a lab have not figured out yet is that there is no " ideal" athlete so to compare all to one model and give a score based on how close that athlete is to that model seems pretty pointless. My teacher can tell me all day that I should work on strengthening the left trapezius because my right is bigger but that is not something I want to change. That is because I turn my head slightly when twisting which can not be helped if I want to be a good twister.

Every few years a great new peice of equipment comes out and then is forgotten about because it's true purpose contradicts it's self or it is not as effected as people once thought. First it was Exercise ball, then BOSU, then Kettle Bells, now FMS and something else will come out. I wonder how long that will last before something else comes out. With that being said I believe FMS does have it's place, with lower level atheltes and younger athletes. Strength and conditioning specialists need to determine what compensations are good for a sport by looking at the biomechanics then a special FMS needs to be created to match that sport. Start building the athletes from a young age to be great athletes mentally and physically.