What is Neurokinetic Therapy and Why is it the Missing Link to Your Pain Relief?

When I begin to see a client with long-term and persistent pain, chances are they’ve tried several other treatments with little or no success. If that’s the case, I often turn to Neurokinetic Therapy, or NKT, for answers. NKT is the missing link to my practice. It has done wonders for me personally and for many of the clients that I’ve treated. Sometimes, the answers to our pain patterns are right in front of us, but we need an experienced practitioner to help us properly interpret what’s happening. So, what is NKT and how can it help you achieve pain relief? Let’s dig in. 

What is Neurokinetic Therapy?

NKT is an advanced system of precise, hands-on muscle tests that help your practitioner identify the specific muscle dysfunction (or dysfunctions) that are causing your pain. NKT was created by David Weinstock, who has been practicing and teaching manual therapy techniques since 1973. 

The theory behind NKT revolves around your brain’s motor control center or MCC. When an injury occurs, or when our body is repeatedly forced into a position (like sitting at a computer for several hours straight) certain muscles weaken, which causes other muscles to pick up the slack. The muscles that are overcompensating for the weakened muscles become overworked and cause your persistent pain. If these postures and patterns aren’t addressed or corrected, your pain will continue or become worse over time. But don’t worry! With specific training, your brain is capable of relearning the proper muscle patterns, which will alleviate your pain.

What does NKT look like?

During an NKT session, your practitioner will gently apply pressure to your muscles and ask you to resist the pressure. This allows them to find the dysfunctional muscles. They’ll repeat this action until the pain pattern is clear. Now, finding a weak muscle doesn’t mean you’re weak or that you did anything wrong. We’re not trying to point out weaknesses. We’re trying to find which muscles are overcompensating so we can retrain your brain to fire the correct muscles. These dysfunctional patterns are learned by the brain over time, and if your movements or postures during the day tend to be repetitive, it’s easy to become stuck in a pattern that causes the body pain.

How can NKT alleviate your pain?

Once the dysfunctional muscle patterns are located, your practitioner will assign you a set of custom exercises in order to strengthen and stabilize your overworked muscles. Completing these exercises along with other treatment techniques recommended by your practitioner will put you on the path to pain free movement. Although traditional massage therapy techniques can be helpful for temporary relief, true freedom from pain takes just a little bit of work and practical movement. 

I know how frustrating it is to live with chronic pain. I’ve experienced it myself. NKT has helped me and so many of my clients find the source of their discomfort. If you’re ready to find real relief that lasts, contact me. We’ll schedule an appointment and you’ll be one step closer to living and working pain free!