Exercise: Body-Brain-Body

The process represented in the simplified diagram above is ABSOLUTELY amazing! It is the process that allows us to do the beautiful, essential and incredible activities that we do. This process called motor control involves preparing for, executing, and fine tuning our movements.

And, it all begins and ends with a sensory experience. The object moving in your peripheral vision leading you to move your eyes and turn your head, the transition from hard to soft surfaces which gives your brain information leading it to adjust motor output at the feet and ankles for stability, the sensation of losing your balance that reflexively causes you to step your leg out and recover, the loading and quick stretch on tendons which assist in producing more powerful output from your muscles. When learning a new skill or sport both internal and external feedback about your movement goes to the brain so that your ability to perform the task is fine tuned. Bit by bit, your form, accuracy and consistency improve. Thus, you move from beginner to novice to expert. The examples are literally endless.

When a person’s ability to perform a task normally or to the degree that they would like is impaired, dysfunction can be hiding anywhere along these pathways: Is it a vestibular problem? Loss of sensation in the feet or from a joint? Is it a brain processing problem or simply a muscle force generation problem? A lot of the time, the mystery is easy to solve but sometimes the source of abnormal or dysfunctional movement is elusive.

So, how do we know? Starting with movement analysis is key. Watching a person perform the movement or task which does not feel right is very telling. The movement analysis can give clues that point to which body systems may need a more formal assessment. Is it a problem of sensation, muscle tone, muscle strength, joint or soft tissue flexibility?

Then, the hypotheses regarding the dysfunctional system are checked with clinical tests/assessments to discover underlying impairments that contribute to the movement problem. At that point, we treat the uncovered impairments to allow for the integration of more normal functioning body structures and systems into performance of the desired task. And, with focused repetition and tapering feedback- success! Your golf swing, dead lift, baseball pitch, or figure skating spin are at their peak.

If you are having difficulty and/or discomfort with a particular activity, have someone with a keen eye for such things watch you. Or, get a video of yourself for feedback. Sometimes, just getting a verbal tip or a visual demonstration of a different way to do something is powerful enough to change your form and lessen stress or pain. And, much of brain, muscle and joint involvement to motor control can be improved with (drum roll, please) you guessed it! EXERCISE.

Pro Tip from Jill: Try the standing exercises with your eyes closed for a bigger bang for your buck.

Because Dr. Jill Trato is a RiseUp member, she offers a free 30-minute evaluation to anyone from our community. Just mention RiseUp and she’ll take a look, give you personalized advice, and help you understand what might be causing your pain. Contact Jill here

About Dr. Jill Trato, PT, DPT, NCS: Dr. Jill has been in practice for over 21 years specializing in the differential diagnosis and treatment of balance, neurological, movement and vestibular disorders. In addition, Dr. Jill has completed residency training in Proprioceptive Neurologic Facilitation, extensive training in manual therapy for orthopedic conditions as well as fellowship coursework in the movement sciences applicable to the orthopedic and chronic pain populations.Dr. Jill's approach is whole person focused and efficient. And, she thoroughly enjoys just getting to know you as an individual.