What is Neurokinetic Therapy?
Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT) is a highly specialist method of providing rehabilitation to patients with a variety of different conditions.
NKT involves the completion of a thorough examination of the entire body by employing a system of precise muscle tests, which can then be used to identify the presence of any muscle imbalances and dysfunctions that may contribute to potential issues.
Specific exercises may then be provided to address any imbalances or dysfunctions, which will allow optimisation of bodily movements and return to normal functional activity.
How does it work?
NKT is based upon the Motor Control Theory. The Motor Control Centre is an area of the brain where all movement patterns are coordinated, and is responsible for generating specific movements by activating the appropriate muscles in the correct sequence to complete a task.
It is believed that injury in a certain area of the body can result in dysfunctional movement patterns that may remain for a long period of time. To address these deficiencies, the brain must be re-educated in a specific manner by adopting individually tailored exercises that will allow the normalisation of movement and provide resolution of any symptoms.
Treatment may be achieved with a combination of hands-on techniques and a specifically designed exercise programme, with the aim of activating weak and inhibited muscles and releasing overactive structures, in order to allow normal movement to occur which will reduce symptoms.
What will happen during your NKT session?
After we have taken your subjective history we get down to the nitty gritty. Let’s take an example of lower back pain NKT assessment. We ask you to breathe out and meet the resistance as we gently push on your leg. For the first half second, the muscles your body remembers how to use meet our light touch.
It may seem weird at first but we only ask your body to respond in ways it knows how. As you lay there with your heels pressing down on the table, we check just one of your deep core muscles, yet you may feel all the muscles in your neck begin to fire. This tells us your neck muscles are overworking because your core isn’t firing as efficiently as it should. This may be due to hunching at your desk all day, jutting your chin, and using your accessory neck muscles to breathe instead of your diaphragm.
Whatever the reason, we’re not trying to find weaknesses to make you feel bad about yourself, but to find the dysfunctional movement patterns, retrain them, and get your body firing in all the right places. These compensations can lay dormant for years and raise their ugly head as they transform into chronic pain brought on by an injury, trauma, or overuse.
The body moves in patterns and we use these muscle tests to tell us where to look for the root cause of pain.
Who may benefit from NKT?
Neurokinetic therapy can be used for a wide range of conditions, including:
Postural issues
Low back pain
Muscle asymmetry
Neck pain
Hip/groin pain
Jaw problems
Sciatica
Knee pain
Ankle sprains
Tennis or golfers elbow
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Shoulder pain
Sacroiliac joint pain