What is NeuroKinetic Therapy®?

“NeuroKinetic Therapy® (NKT®) is a sophisticated assessment and treatment modality that addresses the causes of dysfunctional movement/coordination problems at their root in the motor control center in the cerebellum. The motor control center stores these patterns and directs their completion through the spinal cord and the muscles. The motor control center learns through failure.

A good example is a baby learning to stand. Each time the baby tries to stand and falls the motor control center stores the successful aspects of each attempt. When that program contains enough successful information the baby is finally able to stand. Conversely, a dysfunctional movement program can be created by injury. For example, in a whiplash, the posterior neck muscles become very tight and painful. No matter how much they are manipulated or stretched they stubbornly remain that way. Why? Because the anterior neck muscles are weak and inhibited

Loosening the posterior neck muscles followed by strengthening the anterior neck muscles will reprogram the motor control center. How do we know that the anterior neck muscles are weak or inhibited? Manual muscle testing is employed to assess whether or not a muscle is strong/ facilitated or weak/inhibited. When a muscle tests weak the motor control center perceives this as a failure and is opened to new learning. This presents an opportunity to use the NeuroKinetic Therapy® protocol of test-release-retest to reprogram the motor control center. Correcting these dysfunctional movement patterns is an essential component of rehabilitative therapy.” – David Weinstock

To learn more about NKT®, listen to this podcast with David Weinstock