NKT stands for Neurokinetic Therapy. Physical therapists use this assessment technique to find the root cause of a patient’s complaint. It is an application of Motor Control Theory, neuroscience, and functional anatomy (neuro-biomechanics) developed by David Weinstock. This helps determine faulty movement patterns in the brain’s motor control center.
Providers use certain protocols to determine which muscles are inhibited and which muscles are compensating for them. Using this information, they can then create a corrective exercise regimen focusing on proper movement patterns and reprogram the motor control center.
NKT can be used to assess and treat a variety of conditions. These include joint pain, neck or back pain, gait dysfunction, pre or post-surgical patients, some vestibular cases, hyoid dysfunction, TMJ, scars, post- cesarean section and pelvic floor dysfunction.
Instead of chasing symptoms, therapists can use NKT to find more direct causes of pain, tightness, or weakness. However, the patient still needs to perform their corrective exercises to allow their body to accept the changes. This will eventually override the dysfunction and create a new, functional movement pattern. Every patient is different, and some will take longer to see results than others.
