Neuromuscular Re-education
Neuromuscular re-education is a technique used by rehabilitation therapists to restore normal movement. Together, your nerves and muscles work to produce movements. Nerves send signals between your muscles and your brain about when, where, and how fast to move.
Muscle movement patterns are affected when nerves or muscles experience damage or injury. This can result from trauma, medical conditions, and neurological conditions, such as stroke and traumatic brain injury. Neuromuscular re-education is one method used by rehabilitation therapists to facilitate the return of normal movement in persons with neuromuscular impairments.
Your neuromuscular re-education program will consist of repetitive movements, posturing, and stimulation designed to reinforce nerve signals for functional movements. It is theorized that when the nerve signals are “retrained” and appropriate muscle movements are repeated, movement patterns become automatic again. Neuromuscular re-education is usually done along with other types of treatment to promote functional muscle movement.
Neuromuscular re-education can be performed by utilization of machine to promote muscle fiber recruitment, manual therapy techniques including PNF patterns and therapeutic exercise to re-educate normal movement patterns. These exercises could include things such as core stabilization, balance, proprioception, weight bearing acceptance, and posture.