There’s A Better Way To Test Your Muscles: Introducing Redcord Testing

Written by:
Tyler Joyce
September 18, 2022

I wanted to share something that happened to me while recently evaluating someone for physical therapy. A mother of two elementary school children comes in with complaints of right hip pain and a long history of hammer toes on both feet. Neither of these issues are urgent or in an acute stage. She just wants to prevent them from getting any worse.

I’m not going to bore you with a detailed summary of my evaluation findings. Rather, I’m going to get right to the point where my testing procedures deviated from traditional PT.

After doing some selective functional movement tests in standing (overhead squat, bending forward, trunk twisting, etc.) to help determine where her pain might be coming from, I decided to do a few traditional manual muscle tests to get a better sense of what her hip adductor (inner thigh) strength is like on both sides. 

Let me explain why I went right to her inner thighs. You see, the hip adductors play an important role in stabilizing the body through a chain of muscles and connective tissue (fascia) called the deep front myofascial line. This chain runs from the underside of the foot, up the calf and inner thigh, into the front of the hip joint, pelvis, pelvic floor and lumbar spine, and then finally up through the diaphragm, rib cage, thoracic viscera and neck. It’s just one of many myofascial chains that exist throughout the body. However, in my experience, deactivation of the deep front line is a big contributor to hip pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, and restricted joint mobility further up the spine. In fact, it’s common for hip adductor weakness to contribute to neck pain and tightness. I know this sounds crazy, but that’s just how the body works as a unit.

So let’s get back to how I tested my client’s hip adductor strength. Manual muscle testing is the way I learned to do it in PT school. And most physical therapists still apply these tests.

I did the testing in two different positions: hook-lying and side-lying. The first one was on her back with her legs in a hook-lying bridge position. I asked her to keep her knees together and not allow me to pull them apart. She was able to prevent me from “breaking” the position. So I gave her a score of 5/5 on both sides. Essentially this means her hip adductors are normal and strong.

For the second test, I had her turn onto her side and lift her bottom leg off the table. I asked her to not allow me to push it down. She was able to do this without problem on both sides. She felt a bit stronger on the left side compared to the right side, so I gave her a score of 5/5 left and 4+/5 right.

Since these tests are done in isolation, I instinctively knew they gave me limited information about how the entire deep front myofascial line works. So I decided to test her adductors on the Redcord suspension system.

This type of specialized testing is called NEURAC (NEUromuscular ACtivation). It looks at how the muscles work together as a chain to complete a given movement. There are slings and bungee cords to assist as needed.

Bungee assisted hip adduction test

To my surprise, when I tested her right inner thigh on the Redcord, she couldn’t lift her body off the ground. Even with assistance from the bungees, she simply couldn’t do it. I asked her to try again and she exclaimed, “I’m trying but I just can’t get my muscles to do what you are asking!” It’s like her hip adductors had totally turned off. So I gave her additional bungee assistance until she could start lifting herself up. It took a couple of sessions but then she got it!

If NEURAC testing wasn’t done, I probably wouldn’t have found this hidden muscle imbalance. Traditional manual muscle testing simply didn’t reveal what was wrong. That's because it tests each muscle in isolation. But this isn't how the human body actually moves in real life. For every functional movement, we must engage many muscles along a kinetic chain. Futhermore, we must have adequate neuromuscular control to support our joints through these motions. I’m talking about proper activation of the deep core stabilizers (pelvic floor, diaphragm, transverse abdominis, deep hip rotators, rotator cuff, etc.).

So why are physical therapists still testing muscles in isolation? Does it actually give them any real information about how the person is functioning? If you ask PTs why they are doing manual muscle tests, they will probably say it’s because the insurance companies require this data.

But I tend to do things differently at Activcore, especially when I know there’s a better way. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box that the insurance companies (and maybe even your PT school) have put you in.

To learn more about how I use the Redcord suspension system, click here

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this article are based on the opinion of the author, unless otherwise noted, and should not be taken as personal medical advice. The information provided is intended to help readers make their own informed health and wellness decisions.

Tyler Joyce

Co-Founder | Physical Therapist
Tyler Joyce is a 20+ year experienced physical therapist who specializes in helping competitive baseball players and weekend athletes overcome chronic pain and injury through application of the Redcord suspension system. He works at Activcore in Princeton, New Jersey, located just 2 miles from Princeton University.
FULL PROFILE

BLOGS BY SAME AUTHOR

How Did We Help Two Professional Sports Teams Become Champions?

Let me start right off by saying that I’m not one to call attention to myself, or to toot my own horn. In fact, I've been known to not even tell my co-workers that it’s my birthday. This should give you an idea of how difficult it is for me to write about one of the best kept secrets in professional sports.

Read MORE

Why Athletes Don't Even Know They Need Neuromuscular Control?

Being injured all of the time is not normal. If you're an athlete, it doesn't necessarily mean you will be frequently injured or in pain. Yes, sports do increase your odds of getting hurt, but they don't guarantee it. In fact, I played basketball and baseball throughout my life and I remember less than a handful of injuries. Of course some of that was simply luck of the draw, but now (as a physical therapist) I realize there's so much more to it.

Read MORE

Why Should Everyone Get Tested in the Ropes?

As a physical therapist, testing has been ingrained in me since PT school. I learned that the initial evaluation process should involve testing of specific parts of the body, such as the joints, muscles, and nerves. The results of these tests would then play a role in guiding my treatments. Basically it gave me a starting point.

Read MORE

Podcast Episode: Tyler Joyce Explains Redcord and the NEURAC treatment approach

In this podcast episode, Dr. Scott Curtis from the Princeton Spine and Joint Center interviewed me about suspension based physical therapy. We discussed the Redcord suspension system that I use on all of my clients. It comes from Norway and consists of ropes, slings and bungee cords. I enjoyed explaining how we use Redcord to deliver the neuromuscular activation (NEURAC) treatment approach...

Read MORE

A Tale of Two Physical Therapists

When I was in high school, I read the book A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I can’t help but compare that story to my journey as a physical therapist. When I looked over my old cliff notes in preparation for writing today’s blog, Dickens came right out the gate in his first paragraph with the theme of duality...

Read MORE

Suspension Based Physical Therapy To Overcome Pain

The evidence for treating musculoskeletal pain has remained consistent over the years. It supports two basic aspects of physical therapy: to move your joints and to understand pain science. So why, early on in my career, was it so hard for me to successfully treat patients in pain? I guess moving without pain is harder than you might think. Just ask the old me that didn’t have access to a “zero-gravity” suspension exercise system.

Read MORE

Physical Therapy Doesn’t Have to be Painful!

In my previous blog post I explained the science behind musculoskeletal pain and how Redcord is my secret weapon to overcome it. Today, I’m going to discuss one of the most important aspects of suspension based physical therapy: creating a "zero-gravity" environment so that you can move your joints through pain-free ranges of motion.

Read MORE

There’s A Better Way To Test Your Muscles: Introducing Redcord Testing

I wanted to share something that happened to me while recently evaluating someone for physical therapy. A mother of two elementary school children comes in with complaints of right hip pain and a long history of hammer toes on both feet. Neither of these issues are urgent or in an acute stage. She just wants to prevent them from getting any worse.

Read MORE

Let’s Shake Things Up: The Redcord Stimula

I would like to discuss something that takes suspension based physical therapy to the next level. It’s called the Redcord Stimula. Developed by physiotherapists in Norway, the Stimula is a vibrating mechanical unit that attaches to the suspension ropes in order to provide extra vibration that manual “perturbation” simply cannot match.

Read MORE

The Twelve Tests of Redcord

I wrote this song while sitting in front of my fireplace listening to Bing Crosby’s Twelve Days of Christmas. I recommend getting inspired by listening to Bing’s version first so you can sync my version to his. Happy holidays from the Activcore family to yours.

Read MORE

Anatomy Made Simple: The Myofascial System

If you know me, you know that I love to simplify things especially when it comes to physical therapy. That’s why I love Redcord. It is a simple yet effective tool. Now don’t get me wrong, it looks intimidating with all of those ropes, slings and bungee cords. But once you learn how to use the equipment and understand the testing and clinical reasoning process (known as Redcord NEURAC), it makes treating people so much easier.

Read MORE

Anatomy Made Simple: Inner Muscles vs Outer Muscles

In my last blog post I talked about how to simplify explaining anatomy to clients by way of the myofascial system. Before we dig into each myofascial chain, I would like to discuss another simple concept that has also dramatically improved the way I treat and educate my clients.‍ The concept of inner muscles versus outer muscles was introduced by Anders Bergmark in 1989.

Read MORE

Anatomy Made Simple: The Deep Front Line

In my last two blogs, I explained how our muscles (and hence our bones and joints) are connected to each other through a series of myofascial chains. I also explained how we have inner muscles that stabilize our joints versus outer muscles that move our joints. ‍In the spirit of keeping things simple with regards to explaining the myofascial chains, I am going to break them down from the front of the body, back of the body, and sides of the body.

Read MORE

Anatomy Made Simple: The Front Functional Line

In this blog series, I am breaking down the myofascial chains (chains of muscles that work together to perform movements) into the ones in the front of the body, back of the body, and sides of the body. I highlighted the Deep Front Line in my last post. Today I'm going to talk about the second of three myofascial chains located in the front of the body: the Front Functional Line.

Read MORE

What Have I Learned From Teaching Suspension Based PT?

I am always inspired after teaching any course, and this past weekend was no different. We recently hired 5 new Doctors of Physical Therapy at Activcore and it is my job to teach them how to do suspension based physical therapy. I also mentor them on a one-on-one basis to speed up their learning curve. As one of the first physical therapists in the United States to use this "zero gravity" system, I have countless success (and not so successful) stories to tell.

Read MORE

Anatomy Made Simple: The Superficial Front Line

To be honest, when I talk about the myofascial chains located on the front of the body, I seem to mostly refer to the Deep Front Line and the Front Functional Line. That's because I often find "weak links" along these chains upon testing them, especially in the hip adductors or inner thigh muscles.‍The Superficial Front Line is more of an afterthought, if everything else tests normal.

Read MORE

Treating Low Back Pain: Medication vs Exercise?

Instant gratification is all around us every single day. We get our news immediately from our phones. Our meals come prepared and ready to heat up and eat in several minutes. And we get anything we want from Amazon with literally the click of a button. Our world is moving so fast compared to years ago. So why would recovering from a lower back injury be any different?

Read MORE

How Conventional Physical Therapy Failed a College Baseball Pitcher

I come from a baseball family and more specifically a family of baseball pitchers. My grandfather pitched for the Braves and the Yankees in the 1930’s and 40’s. He stood a lengthy 6 foot 7 inches tall soaking wet. My dad was a 6 foot 5 inch lefty pitcher from Portland, Maine who played one season with the Kansas City A’s. I was a pitcher in high school but an injury to my elbow ended my career before it even began.

Read MORE

What Does a Good Shoulder Treatment Look Like?

There is strong evidence to support suspension based physical therapy for shoulder rehabilitation and performance. So it’s perplexing why it has taken so long to become the gold standard of care. This type of treatment intervention is common in Norway, where it originated. But here in the United States it barely exists. I guess one reason for this is that the profession of physical therapy began in this Nordic region of the world in the early 1800s. Therefore they have about a hundred more years of clinical experience than we do.

Read MORE

How a Snake Bite Helps Explain Pain

I felt inspired to write this blog after re-watching a 2011 TED Talk by Lorimer Moseley on the topic of pain. I have seen this episode multiple times and it always makes me laugh. He knows how to tell a good story that merges science with comedy. He actually makes learning (about pain) fun!

Read MORE

Suspension Based Physical Therapy for Postpartum Pelvic Pain

For over 15 years, I've been teaching suspension based PT to physical therapists across the country. I have seen all different types of clinics incorporate the Redcord suspension system into their daily practice. During these classes, many pelvic floor physical therapists have exclaimed how great suspension exercise is for postpartum moms. I would hear this over and over again. But I didn't know exactly why.

Read MORE

What’s The Best Way to Improve My Posture?

Posture has always been a hot topic of conversation in the physical therapy world. When I mention that I’m a PT, people often ask about their posture and what exercises will make it better. To be honest, this is a loaded question. There’s no one simple answer. If you asked 10 physical therapists, you’d probably get 10 different answers.

Read MORE