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Great Question!

Great Question!

We recently received this question:
Why are so many of the PRI exercises isometric, rather than using the more typical type of PT exercise that uses movement against resistance?

Here is our response:
PRI non-manual techniques are organized by muscle, position and suggested sequence of progressive application.  Therefore, each technique precedes a technique that requires increased neuromotor integration, increased inhibitory activity from compensatory patterned muscle, and an increase in multilevel tri-planar positional organization.  In order to carry this type of function out, the patient needs to “find” and “feel” isometrically a specific muscle in a specific position to learn a behavioral pattern or strategy with this isolated muscle engaging into an integrated “family” of muscle, without dropping off because of position or sequence of movement events.  Many of the more integrated techniques do incorporate “movement against resistance” while the early techniques in each position on initiation, are isolated to inhibit undesirable compensatory activity and identified by the patient for later integration neuromuscular non-compensatory function.  Without awareness of this identified and isometric trained muscle, higher levels of neuromotor demands could reduce the needed concomitant activity of this muscle. 


Can You Do This?

Can You Do This?

Can you achieve a Level 5 Functional Squat grade while also keeping your low traps engaged?  Learn more about this new activity in our Impingement and Instability course!  Our next course will be in August right here at PRI!  To register, click here!


New Technique of the Week

New Technique of the Week

Check out our latest “Technique of the Week”!  To read all about it click here!


Integrating PRI and The McKenzie Method

We recently received an email asking us how to integrate the McKenzie method with PRI.  We were so excited to answer this question!  To read our response click here!


PRI Repetition Recommendations

If you have been to a PRI course before and are using PRI Non-Manual Techniques, you have probably noticed a common theme through each technique.  Almost every technique instructs the patient to “hold for 4-5 deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth and relax and repeat 4 more times”.  So…why 4-5 breaths in and out, why 5 times?  To read the rationale behind this, click here!


Differences Between PRI and MSI

A while back we received an email from someone asking “what is the difference between PRI techniques and MRI (Sahrman) techniques”?  We were excited to have the opportunity to answer this question because it gave us a chance to really express why PRI is so unique!  To read this email, click here or go to “Recent Emails”!


Power of Squatting

Power of Squatting

If you attended day four of our Interdisciplinary Integration course, you learned about Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and the positive effects squatting can have on treatment of this condition.  Following the course, one of the attendees sent us this email that confirmed PRI’s position on the power of squatting…

I wanted to share something else with you all, especially Lori and Ron.  Lori highlighted the importance of squatting and it’s impact on constipation.  My 3 year old, has struggled with constipation since birth.  She literally will go poop once to maybe twice a week if she is lucky and it is always with tears and an all day event.  We have tried everything, from suppositories, Miralax, Benefiber supplements, high fiber diet, Flax oil, Mineral oil, infant tummy massage, etc.  Anyway when I got home Sunday night she was still awake.  After the excitement of seeing each other again, I put her on the toilet in the squat position and she immediately started pooping!  I was ecstatic!  We did the same thing yesterday and today with the same results!  This makes arecord three days in a row of her pooping without tears or pain!  I truly feel that God brought me down to Lincoln for many reasons and this is definitely one of them.  Thanks to you all for all of the work you do to help people.  This simple thing will be life changing for everyone in my daughter’s life, as it was always so hard to watch her be so uncomfortable and not be able to help her.  Thanks again!


Technique of the Week Overview

For those of you that have had the chance to read the technique of the week I thought I would share my discussion with Ron Hruska.  I’ll be honest, at first I was a little puzzled when he started discussing GH movement and upper trap contraction promoting GH abduction?  After we talked about it, I was able to visualize the glenoid being similar to the acetabulum.  I was able to pull together the muscular influences of FA and AF in comparison to GH and HG.  After more discussion I realized that this technique could quite possibly be a functional upper extremity test similar to the Hruska Adduction Lift Test.  If the patient can’t perform this technique without activating on their neck, they still do not have their frontal plane.  You, as a clinician would need to go back to the integrative sidelying techniques that incorporate a left internal oblique with right thoracic adduction and left femoral adduction before your patient is capable of performing a Sidelying Hip Lift.  It took me a while to absorb the complexity of this technique and I’m still not 100% there, but I now have a better understanding of the integrative tri-planar control this technique offers our patients and the objectivity this technique offers us as clinicians in assessing and progressing our patient’s programs! 


New Technique of the Week!

We have posted a brand new Technique of the Week!  We realize that it is long overdue, however, we promise you won’t be disappointed!  This technique is comprised of seven hand written pages and is said to be by the author, Ron Hruska, ”the best sidelying activity that incorporates the inhibitory processes needed to reduce Left AIC / Right BC tone in the upright individual”.  To read about the Sidelying Hip Lift, click here!


Technique of the Week

Technique of the Week

It’s here!  We have updated the Technique of the Week from several weeks ago!  To access it, click here...or go to “Technique of the Week” under Resources


Modified Retro Walking

Modified Retro Walking

Joan Hanson, MPT, PRC recently sent us this email:

“I was working with a patient yesterday on retrowalking. She had sufficient adductor strength to be on her feet but she locked up during retrowalking. She was turning on her TFL each time she picked up her foot to move it backwards. I therefore had her slide her foot backwards along the carpet and she was able to hold a neutral pelvis. I now call this retroslide. I realize that this patient eventually must be able to pick up her foot and keep a neutral pelvis (gait) but the retroslide will just be a precursor to the retrowalking.”


Discussion with Ron Hruska - Part Two

What are your favorite activities to isolate the left abdominals and to inhibit the hip flexors?

60-60 Supine Twists

60-60 Sidelying Twists

Sidelying Crossovers

Right Sidelying Knee Toward Knee with Balloon

Left Sidelying IO/TA Foot Toward Foot

Sidelying Hip Lift

Sidelying Trunk Lift

Left Sidelying Supported Hip Lift

“These are my favorite activities to give individuals with juvenile kyphosis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, PEC patterns, and runners”.

What is the most consistent, reinforced, feed-forward integrated muscle group in PRI?
“Left IO’s and left TA’s.”

What is the most common muscle group missed in a PRI integrated program?
“Left abdominals.”

To learn more about PRI non-manual techniques, click here!


Discussion with Ron Hruska

Discussion with Ron Hruska

The abdominals have been a popular area of discussion at PRI the last few weeks.  When able to catch a moment of Ron’s “free” time, I asked him a couple of burning questions…

What are your favorite activities to find and feel your left abdominals and achieve a left zone of apposition?

Alternating Posterior Pelvic Rotation and Reciprocal Bilateral Wall Leg Lift

90-90 Crossovers

60-60 Sidelying Twists

All Four Belly Lift

Wall Short Seated Left Arm Reach with Balloon

Seated Resisted Bilateral Arm Pull Down with Adduction #4

“These activities are activities I would give for individuals with left rib flairs, someone who has the inability to achieve a left ZOA, for swallowing dysfunction, for PEC patients, for left unilateral neglect, for right upper trap tension and for someone who has an overactive right quadratus lumborum.”

Stay tuned for tommorrow’s question…What are your favorite activities to isolate the left abdominals and inhibit the hip flexors?

To learn more about PRI non-manual techniques, click here!


New Technique

New Technique

Because of the importance of this week’s Technique of the Week, we have created a new activity.  The “Left Stance in Right AF IR Position from the Right AIC Pattern” is the second neuromuscular activity in the PRI integrated standing activities that allows the patient to experience proprioceptive right acetabular femoral internal rotation as he/she shifts their weight from their left non-dominant lower extremity to their right while keeping his/her right leg behind the left. 

Click here to get a copy of this new activity!
Click here to read about the What, Why, When, Where and Who behind this new activity!


The Importance of the Abdominals

The Importance of the Abdominals

We have all been lectured and given the lecture on the importance of our core stabilizers, the abdominals.  Although everyone needs their abdominals, one patient population in particular needs an abdominal program instructed on their first visit, the PEC patient.  Someone who demonstrates a PEC pattern lacks the ability to “turn off” their hip flexors which positions their pelvis forward bilaterally.  A typical abdominal program would probably increase their symptoms and increase the strength of their already overdevelped hip flexors if the abdominal program didn’t first focus on pelvic position!  When using integrative non-manual techniques for treatment of a PEC pattern, one must always consider choosing an exercise that isolates the abdominals and minimizes hip flexor involvement!


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