Simple Self-Assessments: Catching Signs Before Pain Knocks You Down

Ever had that moment where you bend to tie your shoe, and suddenly your back seizes up? Or you go for a pickup game and realize one side of your body just isn’t moving the way it used to?

Here’s the thing: that didn’t come out of nowhere. Your body was probably whispering at you for weeks (months, honestly) before it finally yelled loud enough for you to notice.

Most people think movement issues show up only when pain hits. Wrong. The truth is, your body is giving you signals all the time—you just don’t know how to read them. That’s where self-assessments come in.

I’m not talking about fancy MRI scans or lab coats. I’m talking about simple “check engine lights” you can do right now at home, in less than five minutes, that tell you a whole lot about where you’re strong, where you’re stable, and where you’re compensating.

Why Bother With Self-Assessments?

Awareness. That’s it.

These aren’t pass/fail tests. They don’t “diagnose” you. They just show you how your body is moving today—and that awareness is step one.

Because here’s the cycle I see all the time: people ignore the whispers, keep muscling through, and only show up to PT when the pain finally stops them. By then, you’re already in the spiral—guarding, limping, avoiding movements you used to do without thinking.

Catching the signs early doesn’t make you fragile. It makes you proactive.

The 4 Simple Tests

Here are four easy self-checks you can try right now. No equipment. No excuses. Just you and a few minutes of paying attention.

1. Toe Touch Test

• How to do it: Stand tall, feet together, and slowly reach down toward your toes.

• What to notice: Do you hinge smoothly through the hips, or does your low back round hard? Do you feel like you’re folding at one spot instead of flowing through the whole chain?

• Why it matters: A clean toe touch isn’t just about hamstring length—it’s about your ability to load and control the hinge pattern. If your back does all the work, that’s your nervous system protecting you because your hips aren’t doing their job.

2. Wall Squat

• How to do it: Stand facing a wall, toes a few inches away, feet hip-width. Squat down without letting your heels pop or your torso collapse.

• What to notice: Do you tip forward? Lose balance? Knees dive in?

• Why it matters: This shows how well your hips, knees, and ankles share the load. If you crumble, it’s not just a “bad squat.” It’s your body telling you it doesn’t trust that position.

3. Shoulder Scratch

• How to do it: One hand reaches overhead and down your back. The other reaches up from below. Can your fingers meet? Compare sides.

• What to notice: Is one side way tighter than the other? Do you feel pinching, shrugging, or rib flare?

• Why it matters: Shoulder mobility isn’t just about loose muscles. It’s about ribcage control, scapula coordination, and being able to reach without stealing motion from somewhere else.

4. Single-Leg Balance

• How to do it: Stand tall on one leg for 20 seconds. No wall, no grabbing your phone for balance.

• What to notice: Do you sway? Do your hips hike or your torso twist?

• Why it matters: Balance is the nervous system’s way of showing trust. If you fight like crazy to stay up, that’s your body telling you it doesn’t feel safe stacking joints over each other.

The Takeaway

These drills aren’t about being “good” or “bad.” They’re mirrors.

If you find yourself tipping, wobbling, or feeling stiff—good. That’s information. That’s your dashboard light flicking on.

And just like your car, ignoring it doesn’t make the problem go away. It just gets louder until something breaks down.

Where to Go From Here

If one of these feels off, don’t panic. Curiosity beats fear every time. Write it down. Notice how one side feels compared to the other.

And if you want to go deeper—that’s where I come in. At Revenant PT, our full-body movement assessment takes those “dashboard lights” and maps out exactly what’s driving them. We don’t just chase pain. We figure out why your body is compensating in the first place, and then we build you a roadmap to move confidently again.

👉 Ready to stop guessing and start moving better? Book your full-body assessment today.