THE NEUROMUSCULAR APPROACH TO HUMAN MOVEMENT®

The Neuromuscular Approach to Human Movement (NMAHM®) can be traced back to the early 1930's and the work of T.McLurg Anderson. The NMAHM® was first authored and further developed by John Vasey and Lesley Crozier in the 1980's, and more recently Lesley Crozier [MCSP, SRP, DipTP] and Sheila Cozens [Bsc (Hons) (Physiotherapy), MCSP, Lic.Ac, Cert Ed], who continue its development. Lesley and Sheila currently operate a business called MovES Ltd (Movement Education Services Ltd).

Lesley Crozier	Sheila Cozens

The Neuromuscular Approach to Human Movement (NMAHM®) is a holistic, integrated and systematic study of movement and its consequences.

The NMAHM® promotes efficient movement and risk reduction by offering opportunities for directed self assessment of existing movement patterns, and methods of applying 'new' efficient patterns/methods of movement: including Core Patterning, Specific Conditioning , Indirect Handling and Conditioned Reaches. The NMAHM® recognises that most adults are carrying injury through their habitual movement pattern.

Underpinning the NMAHM® is Neuromuscular Conditioning (Core Pattern and Specific Conditioning). This conditioning promotes efficient movement, increases sensitivity and awareness and physiological relaxation and offers holistic, therapeutic benefits.

EFFICIENT MOVEMENT

Efficient movement means using the appropriate effort as to not compromise human developmental, anatomical, physiological or bio-mechanical balance.

Most adults have 'learned' a habitual pattern of movement that has been focused on the effectiveness of completing a task rather than the efficiency of the movement involved in that task. This pre-disposes the person to increased likelihood of musculo-skeletal injury, greater healing times, and decreased general health and well-being. Bearing in mind that every part of the human body, from the single cell to the multi-cellular organs, tissues and systems all require movement to achieve their optimal level of functioning, any compromise to one area will have consequences to the integral functioning of the whole body.

Look at this photo of a woman cleaning a bath, and think of where her line of gravity falls in relation to her area of base (feet). Notice how her knees are 'locked' (tense) and think of parts of her body that are likely to have tension - such as her legs, back and shoulders. At this stage, these tensions are simply her body's response to prevent her from falling over. This is a common movement adopted by most adults to carry out any task that involves the person lowering their height - from cleaning teeth to getting milk out of a fridge.
If you multiply the amount of similar movements undertaken daily, weekly, yearly, it becomes quite obvious why many people begin to get aches and pains as they get older. The good news is that the Neuromuscular Approach to Human Movement® offers a methodology that can minimise and/or eradicate many of the risks of musculo-skeletal injury as well as a therapeutic intervention for existing injury.