NEUROKINETIC THERAPY

The NeuroKinetic Therapy (NKT) is corrective movement system developed by David Weinstock. NKT uses specific muscle tests and protocols of testing to find out which muscles/tissues are neurologically overactive, and which are underactive. Then, an appropriate release/stretch technique, followed by activation of underactive muscles are used to reprogram the movement pattern stored in the brain region that’s responsible for learned motor control. According to NKT, massage and other myofascial release techniques help decrease the myofascial tension, but their effect is temporary. If the movement pattern is not reprogrammed, the dysfunction comes back.

To better understand how muscle imbalances cause muscle pattern compensations, joint dysfunctions, pain and injuries, one has to understand the processes of reciprocal inhibition and synergistic dominance. When muscle A is overactive, tight and short it causes decreased neural drive to a muscle B that performs the function opposite to the function performed by muscle A (functional antagonist). Muscle B becomes underactive and then muscles C, D, E etc., which perform the function similar to muscle B (synergists) have to work harder and compensate for muscle B. Now they become overactive, short and tight, and they “shut down” their functional antagonist, while their synergists become overactive. So the chain of muscle imbalances and compensations goes on, and you end up having pain in your hip due to tight lower leg muscle. As Karel Lewit from Prague school of rehabilitation once said – “he who treats the site of pain is often lost”. NKT helps a coach to reveal where the dysfunction started, to find the cause of the problem, remove it and reprogram the movement pattern.