The Most Common Movement Mistakes That Lead to Injury—And How to Fix Them

We often think of injuries as being caused by a single moment—a fall, a twist, or an unlucky landing. But many musculoskeletal injuries happen gradually, the result of small, repeated movement mistakes that wear down the body over time. At MSK Doctors, we use MAI-Motion™, a state-of-the-art movement analysis platform, to identify the real culprits: asymmetry, loss of control, and poor twist mechanics. The good news? Once identified, these patterns can be corrected—reducing injury risk and improving long-term joint health.

Why Movement Quality Matters

Your musculoskeletal system is designed for efficient, coordinated motion. But when movement patterns become imbalanced or dysfunctional, your joints, tendons, and muscles are exposed to excess load in the wrong places. Over time, this leads to:

• Tendinopathy

• Cartilage damage

• Joint instability

• Recurrent sprains or muscle strains

• Early-onset arthritis

MAI-Motion™ captures your real-world movement and uses AI to measure how your body moves under stress. By analysing parameters like balance, twist, control, and flow, we can detect the micro-errors that lead to macro-injuries.

The Top 3 Movement Mistakes—And How to Fix Them

⚖️ 1. Asymmetry: Uneven Movement Between Left and Right

What it looks like:

• One leg pushes off harder than the other

• Uneven hip height when walking or squatting

• Unequal stride length or step timing

Why it’s a problem:
Asymmetry causes one side of the body to overwork while the other becomes underactive. This leads to joint overload—particularly in the hips, knees, ankles, and spine.

How to fix it:

• Use unilateral exercises (e.g. single-leg squats, lunges) to restore balance

• Identify and correct side-dominance in movement drills

• Use MAI-Motion™ metrics to track changes over time and guide rehab

🧠 2. Control Loss: Instability During Transitions

What it looks like:

• Wobbling when landing from a jump

• Knee collapse (valgus) during squats or cutting

• Shaky or uncontrolled movement through the mid-range

Why it’s a problem:
Poor neuromuscular control reduces joint stability, especially during dynamic movements. It increases the risk of ACL tears, ankle sprains, and patellofemoral pain, particularly in high-impact sports.

How to fix it:

• Integrate balance and proprioception work (e.g. BOSU, single-leg holds)

• Strengthen hip and core stabilisers

• Use controlled tempo training to build awareness in movement transitions

• Re-test using MAI-Motion™ to confirm improvements in control metrics

🔄 3. Poor Twist Mechanics: Rotational Dysfunction

What it looks like:

• The pelvis and shoulders don’t rotate in sync

• Spine over-rotates to compensate for hip stiffness

• Joints “lock out” instead of flowing smoothly

Why it’s a problem:
Twisting is a natural part of walking, running, and sport. Poor twist mechanics lead to lower back pain, labral tears, and spinal overload—especially in rotational sports like tennis, golf, and martial arts.

How to fix it:

• Improve thoracic mobility and hip rotation

• Use movement drills that isolate and integrate rotational flow (e.g. med ball throws, lunges with rotation)

• Address fascial tension and imbalances with mobility work

• Track twist efficiency through MAI-Motion™'s "Twist" and "Flow" scores

The Role of MAI-Motion™ in Injury Prevention

Traditional physiotherapy and rehab assessments are based on what the eye can see. But MAI-Motion™ goes deeper, offering objective, quantifiable insights into how you actually move. It measures:

• Asymmetry

• Control

• Flow and rhythm

• Repetition efficiency

• Twist coordination

This data helps clinicians and performance specialists build targeted training plans—not just to treat pain, but to stop it from coming back.

Additional Patient Information

If you're struggling with recurring injuries, unexplained joint pain, or poor performance despite training, it's time to look at how you move—not just what you do. Hidden movement faults often go undiagnosed until it’s too late.

At MSK Doctors, we use MAI-Motion™ to help patients and athletes detect and correct movement dysfunctions early—so they can move better, train safer, and live stronger.

Whether you're recovering from surgery, returning to sport, or aiming to prevent injury altogether, movement quality is the foundation of long-term musculoskeletal health.

FAQs

What’s the difference between strength training and movement correction?
Strength training builds power, but movement correction ensures it’s used safely. If you build strength on top of poor mechanics, you risk injury.

Can MAI-Motion™ detect problems before I feel pain?
Yes. Many injuries are preceded by dysfunctional patterns. MAI-Motion™ can detect imbalances or instability before symptoms arise.

Do I need to be an athlete to benefit from this?
Not at all. MAI-Motion™ is used for everyday patients, post-surgical rehab, older adults, and high-level athletes alike.

How long does a movement scan take?
Typically 10–15 minutes, with results and analysis available immediately. It’s a non-invasive, full-body test.

What happens after my MAI-Motion™ assessment?
You’ll receive a personalised movement report and, if needed, a targeted rehab or training plan to correct identified issues.