RNT Explained

by Mitch Hauschildt, MA, ATC, CSCS

Mike Voight initially defined Reactive Neuromuscular Training in 1990 as “an umbrella heading for a variety of rehabilitation techniques designed to restore dynamic stability and fine motor control at an injured joint.” He later went on to expand on his definition. He stated, “The main objective of the RNT program is to facilitate the unconscious process of interpreting and integrating the peripheral sensations received by the central nervous system (CNS) into appropriate motor responses.”

On a very basic level, what Voight says is that what we are doing with RNT is providing feedback to the brain from the rest of the body to stimulate the central nervous system in such a way that it will improve timing, sequencing and rhythm. In other words, it improves motor control.

RNT improves motor control in a unique way, which is part of what makes it so effective as a corrective strategy. We are going to use the “reactive” quality of the nervous system make our changes (thus the name Reactive Neuromuscular Training).

The major advantage to RNT and the way that we can integrate it is that it not only feeds the nervous system, but it is usually self-correcting in nature. Meaning, if the person performing the prescribed movement can’t do it correctly, they simply can’t do it at all.

Self-corrective exercises are great because they save a lot of effort when it comes to coaching and it also puts a patient in a position where they can be successful. It is truly a win-win, so anytime we can integrate self-correcting exercises, we should.

Why RNT Works

The nervous system has a lot of default motor patterns that exist to help us move through our environment. These motor patterns help us save energy and time by not requiring a lot of input to and from the brain because they are already established and can take place with minimal intervention or thought.

For example, if I were to ask you to squat, you would be able to go ahead and squat without thinking about it. Your squat may be great. Or, it may not be so great. But you have a program that is pre programmed for a squat.

While these motor programs are efficient in the way that they turn on and off the nervous system, we also need to understand that if they are faulty, they can be extremely problematic. If a dysfunctional movement pattern becomes the default, it is very difficult to change because now you have grooved a faulty pattern and created something that no longer needs input from the brain in order to make happen.

You can think about movement patterns as train tracks. Train tracks are fast, efficient and well established. They work great for moving a specific type of vehicle along a specific path to a specific destination. But, if something changes (i.e. the track becomes damaged, it gets covered with debris, a switch stops working), the system breaks down very quickly and the track becomes worthless.

This is true of movement patterns as well. If you have one that hasn’t been used for a long time, your nervous system won’t access it effectively. If the movement pattern is faulty to start with, it will simply lead you to a poor outcome. And, if there are a hundred tracks lined up side by side with no real rhyme or reason, the brain won’t know which track to use. We want everyone’s train tracks to be straight, simple, and easy to access.

One problem with train tracks is that they are difficult to construct and once you are on them, there is no getting off. You can’t change paths and decide that you want to take a random detour or the scenic route. This is part of what makes train tracks so efficient for a specific purpose, but not very useful for anything else. While I love the train track analogy for understanding movement patterns, we should also keep in mind that the great thing about the human body is that with specific techniques, we can “jump the tracks” and get out of the preprogrammed patterns, as long as we know what we’re doing.

That is really what RNT is about. Giving the body the right stimulus at the right time to “jump the tracks”. Once we jump the tracks, we can start laying down new ones that are more desirable. If we grove the new pattern enough times, it will become the default set of tracks that the body will always revert to.

Interested in learning more?  Look for our new project, “Neurofacilitation: Reactive Neuromuscular Training” that launches on Friday, September 1, 2017.  For more information, visit maximumtrainingsolutions.com.