THE HISTORY

Gymnasts have been using suspension equipment (gym rings, high bar, etc.) for centuries. With practice and training, they learn how to move, balance and stabilize their own bodyweight through precise motions such as a dip or pike. Each repetition requires underlying muscle control for optimal movement health and performance.

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Suspension exercise isn't new to PT. In fact, the physical therapy profession was born from gymnastics in the early 1800s. Physiotherapists in Sweden were originally called "sjuk-gymnast" which means a person involved in gymnastics for those who are ill. The first physical therapist was Per Henrik Ling (the Father of Swedish Gymnastics) who founded the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics in 1813 for rehabilitation and manipulation. [source: The Rise of Physical Therapy: A History in Footsteps]

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THE REDCORD SYSTEM

At Activcore, we believe that everybody should benefit from suspension exercise, not just gymnasts. We use an apparatus from Norway which consists of ropes, slings and bungee cords. Similar to floating on water, the Redcord suspension system creates a "zero-gravity" environment where you can gently exercise and rebalance your body without interference of pain. It's sort of like how a mechanic lifts your car to balance the tires and alignment.

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STABILIZING THE JOINTS

Redcord brings out your inner gymnast. By applying bungee assistance, we will teach you how to move, balance and stabilize your own bodyweight through specific joint motions, such as hip abduction (shown above) or neck extension (shown below). Each repetition builds joint stability across entire chains of muscles (the myofascial chains) so that your whole body will feel more stable and become less susceptible to injury.

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A CHAIN REACTION

You are only as strong as your weakest link. As we take you through the exercises, we are teasing out underlying weaknesses involving the smaller muscles that stabilize the joints (e.g., deep hip rotators, pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, rotator cuff, etc.).

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These joint stabilizers should always be ON through continuous muscle activation. But they can turn OFF due to trauma from a sports injury, pregnancy, surgery or illness. They can even shut down from prolonged sitting and a sedentary lifestyle. When deactivated, other larger muscles along the chain will naturally take over. It is this global compensation that leads to muscle imbalances and a vicious cycle of pain.

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A NEUROMUSCULAR APPROACH

We apply suspension exercises to gently wake up the dormant stabilizer muscles and reverse the pain cycle. Our approach is called NEURAC (NEURomuscular ACtivation). Essentially, by having you do repeated joint motions in a "zero-gravity" environment, NEURAC tells your brain that it is safe to turn the joint stabilizers back on. It's like turning up a light switch to muscles that went dim from chronic pain and trauma.

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A BALANCED BODY

Redcord gets faster results than conventional physical therapy and fitness training. The difference is felt at a neuromuscular level. When your mind and muscles are fully rebalanced, the effects are extraordinary. Most people experience instant relief of pain, freedom of joint motion, and a sense of being centered from head to toe.

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THE REDCORD MOVEMENT

Developed by Norwegian physiotherapists in the 1990s, Redcord is now utilized by elite physical therapists around the world as the ultimate system for neuromuscular activation. Here in the United States, it is being implemented by trained professionals at the Olympic Committee, the U.S. Army, the University of Michigan, Princeton University Athletics, and Emory University's Doctorate of Physical Therapy program.

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At Activcore we are proud to be the nation's leading provider of Redcord. Doing suspension based physical therapy makes us feel like we are getting back to the foundation of "Swedish medical gymnastics" the profession was originally built on.

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THE RESEARCH

Redcord is a scientific breakthrough in physical therapy and sports performance. It has been extensively peer reviewed with 100+ research studies featured in industry approved publications, including the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, Journal of Human Kinetics, Journal of Biomechanics, and Journal of Dance Medicine & Science.

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Scroll down to learn about the science behind Redcord...

The Problem

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NEUROMUSCULAR DE-ACTIVATION

Many studies have shown that trauma (injury, concussion, pregnancy, surgery, etc.) creates physical imbalances throughout the body by altering our brain’s capacity to switch on the right muscles, at the right time, and with the right amount of strength.

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Known as neuromuscular de-activation, this process begins by shutting down the body's inner core stabilizers. These are the smaller muscles located near our joints. Under normal circumstances, their primary role is to stabilize the spine, pelvis, hips, shoulders and other joints to allow for upright posture and functional mobility.

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Examples of joint stabilizers include the:

- Deep neck flexors

- Rotator cuff

- Deep rotators of the hip

- Pelvic floor muscles

- Transverse abdominis

- Multifidus

- Internal obliques

- Diaphragm (for breathing and stability)

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When pain is present, the connection between the brain and joint stabilizers can get disrupted. To make up for this loss of joint stability, our brain will naturally send more signals to the larger muscles which are closer to the surface of the body. These are the outer muscles that make us look good in the mirror. Some examples include the lats, pecs, biceps, triceps, quads and hams. They are commonly known as "prime movers" since their primary role is to move the body. They're supposed to turn on to perform a specific task (walk, run, squat, push, pull, etc.) and then turn off and recover. However, due to the underlying muscle deactivation, these prime movers must stay on to also do the constant work of the dormant joint stabilizers.

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Simply put, the outer muscles are now doing two jobs: moving and stabilizing. But they are not built to stay on constantly like the inner muscles. So it's only a matter of time for them to tighten up like a knot. A classic example of this is tight hamstrings (outer muscles) compensating for a weak core (inner muscles). It is our body's innate way to protect the spine by stiffening up muscles further down the myofascial chain.

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Yes, this means your hamstrings could be tight due to joint instability at the spine. If not properly addressed, this muscle imbalance will set in motion a cycle of pain that can lead to more serious injuries, like tearing your hamstring or calf while running.

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As the cycle goes around, pain will start to interfere with your everyday life. Usually this is the moment when most people seek out help from a physical therapist, chiropractor or physician. However, if the practitioner does not know how to find and fix these muscle imbalances as the underlying source of the pain, you might only get temporary relief. The symptoms could return and spread out to other areas over time.

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Muscle deactivation impairs how you stabilize joint motions. It makes the body more susceptible to injuries. It can even disrupt how you regulate normal bodily processes, such as urinating (i.e., pelvic floor dysfunction), digesting food and breathing.

The Solution

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NEUROMUSCULAR ACTIVATION

Simply stretching, massaging and strengthening the painful spot won't fix it. You have to find the underlying source of the problem which is often far away from the pain. For example, shoulder pain typically stems from deactivated muscles around the pelvis, hips, spine and rib cage. That's why we always treat the whole kinetic chain, regardless of where you have pain.

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We apply suspension exercises to gently wake up the dormant stabilizer muscles and reverse the pain cycle. Our approach is called NEURAC (NEURomuscular ACtivation). Essentially, by having you do repeated joint motions in a "zero-gravity" environment, NEURAC tells your brain that it is safe to turn the joint stabilizers back on. It's like turning up a light switch to muscles that went dim from chronic pain and trauma.

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The Redcord suspension system gives your body the support it needs to engage the right muscles, at the right time, and with the right amount of strength. By offloading your outer muscles with bungee assistance, we can recruit your inner core muscles.

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We can also adjust how much neuromuscular stimulation to apply. Shaking the ropes stimulates the nerves. Gently vibrating the ropes calms the nerves. Finding a perfect balance of control versus instability is essential for best results. You should feel your muscles working (re-activating) but without any pain or symptom aggravation.

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Redcord is an ideal tool for delivering neuromuscular activation. While it's common to feel immediate changes with just a few exercises, it's important to understand that retraining muscles into a proper neuromuscular pattern takes repetition. After all, we are quite literally remapping connections between the brain and the joint stabilizers.

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Every exercise prescribed should be tailored to your specific needs. The practitioner may also use the Redcord suspension system to assist with the application of manual therapy techniques including joint mobilizations, stretching and myofascial release.

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Redcord helps people to a life in motion. Just like gymnastics, it naturally restores underlying muscle control for optimal movement health and performance.

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Click here to learn even more about Redcord.