What is DNS?
Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization is a rehab treatment that emphasizes natural stability patterns of muscle and joint development learned in childhood.
Newborns have no muscle or joint stability; as we develop, our brains connect with our muscles to support our skeletal system, enabling us to crawl, stand, walk, and run.
Due to factors like age, overuse syndromes, sports injuries, poor posture, and trauma, we lose the natural patterns of muscle and joint movement and stability. DNS reconnects the brain to the muscles and joints to regain this control and stability.
These faulty muscle patterns cause stress on our muscles and joints and are responsible for many pain syndromes such as the low back, mid-back, neck, and extremity pain.
DNS consists of a neuromuscular evaluation, treatment protocols, rehab exercises, and posture and lifestyle changes that promote the normal developmental muscle patterns to create stability. The stability gives us the needed support to our musculoskeletal system. This strength enables the patients to recover more quickly from injury.
How DNS can help your pain
DNS can help your pain by creating a support system for weakened or injured muscles/ joints/discs. Injuries can occur due to increased stress or load caused by poor posture or faulty stability patterns.
A good example of increased load or stress on a joint is a tire analogy. If a tire is not bolted on your car tightly, it will cause a constant vibration or pull to one side. This will cause the tire to wear out much more quickly.
A similar scenario in the body is if your glutes are not adequately controlling your hip. Your brain will recruit other muscles, like the hip flexors or hamstrings, to compensate for this weakness and support the hip. This often causes the hip joint to be stiff, painful, and to wear out more quickly.
Our goal with DNS is to train the brain and the muscles the proper stability patterns through specific exercises, so ultimately your joints can heal and become more stable. By reducing overload/stress on the joints, we establish long-term musculoskeletal health and stability, translating into a pain-free life.
How DNS helps with our Chiropractic care
DNS is an effective tool used in conjunction with chiropractic care. Chiropractors are experts at treating joint restrictions/tightness/fixation through specific gentle manipulation and soft tissue techniques.
These restrictions are often caused by poor posture and improper stability patterns resulting in pain and stiffness in the spine and extremities.
After the joint restriction is addressed, we begin using DNS exercises to teach the brain how to control the joints to prevent joint restriction from recurring.
Using a car analogy again, if we put new tires on the car without addressing the car’s supporting structure or alignment, we will wear out the new tires, just like the old tires.
If we fix the joint restrictions without addressing the body’s supporting muscles, we will wear out the joints like the tires.
Chiropractic care coupled with DNS creates the perfect symbiotic treatment.
Removing the joint restrictions and strengthening the muscles and joints will eliminate your pain and prevent it from coming back.
Who practices DNS at Mt. Lookout Chiropractic and Sports Injury Center?
All of our Cincinnati chiropractors and physical therapists have taken DNS courses through the Prague School of Rehabilitation. Dr. Jason Placeway is a certified DNS practitioner and finished his training in Prague in 2015. Dr. Placeway is also a certified DNS exercise trainer along with Dr. Jessica Kowalski, Dr. Will Cornett, and Dr. Mark King.
Other Conditions that DNS can help:
- Scoliosis
- Cerebral Palsy
- Any injury to the neurological system
DNS Background
DNS was developed by a physical therapist named Dr. Pavel Kolar at the Prague School in the Czech Republic. He studied under neurologist Dr. Vaclav Vojta, who used reflex stimulation to treat children with cerebral palsy.
Reflex stimulation involved gently working certain anatomical pressure points while the child is placed in developmental positions. It was found that this stimulated certain reactions and reflexes that relaxed the child’s spasticity and promoted a better and correct stability pattern. Dr. Kolar found that exercising and treating in these same positions effectively treated children and adults with any neurological condition.
Dr. Jason Placeway spent seven years studying DNS and taking DNS courses starting in 2008. He finished his education at the Prague School in 2015, becoming a certified DNS practitioner. He later became a certified DNS exercise trainer in 2016. He continues to take courses and further his education.
Dr. Placeway uses DNS to treat various conditions present at Mt. Lookout Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center. One example of how Dr. Placeway uses DNS can be seen in his assessment of child development. When faulty mechanics are observed with his examination, then he implements exercises to correct these faulty patterns of movement.
These muscle and joint patterns often transition to pain syndromes as the child ages. Correcting these patterns at an early age can prevent many injuries in the high school athlete and into adulthood.
Another example of how Dr. Placeway uses DNS at Mt. Lookout Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center is the treatment of scoliosis. Scoliosis can develop due to improper muscle and joint patterns, which often translate into the spine’s instability.
These faulty patterns can result in curvature of the spine in children and adults. The implementation of specific DNS exercises is used to treat the faulty patterns and instability of the spine. Dr. Placeway has seen improvement in many scoliosis cases of all ages through his DNS work.
Neurological and spasticity/hypertonicity disorders such as Cerebral Palsy also benefit from DNS treatment. DNS initiates proper patterns of stability and function that ultimately help with muscle rigidity seen in these neurological disorders. Dr. Placeway is one of the few practitioners in the country that is a full practitioner certified DNS provider.
Schedule an evaluation with Dr. Placeway today.
DNS and Sports Performance
DNS is a valuable tool for athletes and sports performance. DNS will assess your movement and implement treatment and training to create ideal patterns of stability. The healthy patterns make movement and exercise more efficient. These exercises prevent injury while simultaneously increasing your speed and strength.
The doctors at Mt. Lookout Chiropractic integrate the DNS principles into your personal training regime. After incorporating the DNS exercises, you are able to maximize your performance in your individual sport or activity.
DNS is the foundation of our rehabilitation program, we couple it with our chiropractic and physical therapy programs to treat a wide variety of conditions. We listen, we care, and we implement the best program that fits your specific needs.