The classic way of dealing with musculoskeletal complaints or performance restrictions
In the case of problems with the musculoskeletal system, conventional approaches typically treat the structures that show symptoms or performance restrictions (e.g. by looking at the knee alone in the case of knee pain). A range of procedures are available to treat typical symptoms such as back or neck pain, e.g. ultrasound, electricity, joint mobilization or massages in conventional physiotherapy. The focus of traditional medical approaches is often on the rapid reduction of symptoms, which is achieved with anti-inflammatory medication, for example. If such interventions are not successful, imaging procedures such as MRI are used to gain an overview of structural factors.
Degenerative symptoms and “abnormal” parameters are then quickly declared to be the cause of the complaints and dismissed as “age-related”. The result is often that the affected person is sent home with general advice (e.g. “It’s best to ride a bike”, “Keep moving”, or in the worst case: “At your age, you can’t expect much more”) or even undergoes an operation. However, this does not change the movements that may have contributed to the situation (e.g. movement patterns in the brain). There are also other problems caused by the destruction of connective tissue as a result of the operation and the postures and movements that are assumed to be beneficial.
In the case of complaints affecting the musculoskeletal system, blanket recommendations are often made (e.g. “It’s best to ride a bike”). This does not do justice to any individual. Image source: pexels.com
The body’s organization of movement is controlled centrally via the nervous system and is therefore as different as a fingerprint. A neuro-based approach is therefore always individual.
Image source: fotalia.com, ©coisy
On the other hand, there is an increasing range of fitness and rehabilitation sports and therapy options, magazines, books, online courses and apps, new types of equipment, from simple strength training machines to high-tech systems. Trainers and therapists with a wide range of qualifications are trying to tackle the tasks of pain management, quality of movement and increasing performance. However, there seem to be few approaches that look at people individually and take both their personal past and current factors into account when considering their situation. If at all, classical approaches attempt to improve movement patterns “from the outside”, so to speak, e.g. through strengthening, stabilization and stretching exercises that are intended to compensate for a muscular imbalance at the end. This approach is symptom-oriented, as the tension structure between the muscles of our musculoskeletal system is primarily controlled by the
What always happens, however, is the regulation of muscle tone via our central nervous system. Years of misuse of entire muscle chains then lead to the classic overuse symptoms such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tension headaches, plantar fasciitis, “runner’s knee”, impingement syndrome, etc.
However, treatment that only focuses on the overloaded (or underloaded) structures and not on the control circuits that contribute to this situation can be described as “mechanical”.
Therapy and training of the nervous system – the focus is on the “software”
In my work, I focus not only on the result (pain, reduced performance), but also on the possible factors that produce the result. The nervous system plays a particularly important role here. Why is the nervous system so important for the organism?
Our brain constantly collects information from our environment, which has to be absorbed, filtered, processed and interpreted. Once this information has been absorbed and interpreted, either a reduction or an increase in performance occurs (in very simplified terms).
However, if the nervous system negatively evaluates one or more stimuli (e.g. perception of a joint, muscle tension, scar tissue, but also other factors such as food and psychosocial stressors), the output also changes negatively (e.g. greater pain sensation, excessive stress reaction, inflammatory reactions, reduced range of motion, less strength performance, etc.). In therapy, this can be seen in chronic pain patients, for example, where only a few and often minimal stimuli are sufficient to intensify a painful condition. The nervous system is “oversensitive”, so to speak.
In the area of the musculoskeletal system, pain or performance limitations are often accompanied by neurally controlled compensation patterns that are based on a disturbed perception and/or interpretation of stimuli by the nervous system. This means that, for example, an overstretched ankle ligament or a certain eye movement are perceived or interpreted by the brain as “faulty”, which disrupts the output (movement control) and therefore the entire system. Using a combination of neuro-centered approaches such as NeurokineticTherapy (NKT), Z-Health and other systems, I am able to analyze these faulty movement patterns to determine what training each client needs.
But a neuro-based approach is not only necessary and promising in the therapeutic field. In competitive sport in particular, it is important to get every last reserve out of athletes. Previously proven approaches, such as classic strength training or stabilization training, are based on the “mechanical” view of the body described above.
Neuro-based approaches, on the other hand, focus on the brain as the central control organ and attempt to mobilize performance reserves by optimizing the “software”, so to speak. Using neuro-functional tests, it is possible to specifically test the quality of sport-specific movements and find out how well the central nervous system organizes athletic movements.
In my work as a sports and movement therapist and trainer, I combine my wealth of knowledge and experience from neuro-based approaches and natural movement to create an individualized approach that aims to achieve a high quality of movement, whether in therapy or in high-performance sport. I combine medical-therapeutic knowledge with neuroscientific findings, a broad understanding of human movement and training theory as well as a bio-psycho-social model of health.
