Neurocentric movement is not a therapy. There are no manual adjustments or manipulations (such as you’ll find with osteopathy or chiropractic treatments) and no needles (like acupuncture).

For the most part, physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic treatment focus on the mechanics of the muscles and bones, etc. and ignores the fundamental role that the brain and nervous system play both in creating pain and controlling your body’s movement.

Neuro-centric movement is an approach to movement that focuses on how the brain receives and interprets sensory information, and then controls movement both reflexively and voluntarily based on that information.

Vision and balance play a central role in movement.

Said another way, pain-free, high-quality movement (eg. full ranges of motion, strong, well-controlled) is much harder without also having good vision and balance. Imagine running down the road as fast as you can. Now imagine doing it with your eyes closed. You’d go slower, right?

You just can’t move as fast or as confidently with impaired vision or balance. The same is true for any other movement from picking up a hot drink to lifting weights to performing gymnastics.

The movement, balance and visual systems come together to allow movement to happen. Even small deficits in any of these systems can have an impact on your movement.

And if you don’t have deficits, they can still be trained to be stronger and react faster.

Neuro-centric movement trains and integrates all three systems so that they are high-functioning and you perform well.

In short: yes. 20/20 (6/6 in Europe) means that you can see at 20ft what the average person can see at 20ft. And it’s usually a well-lit, highly contrasted, static letter. Unfortunately that isn’t how vision works in real life. Sometimes you look at things as they move towards or away from you, or from side to side. Static vision or “fixations” are only one part of vision so there’s a lot more for us to work on.

The experience of pain is created in the brain but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Pain is very real. There are no “pain receptors” in your body that “feel pain” because there is no pain out there in the world to feel. The various sensory receptors (and there are many) in your body send signals to your brain that your brain has to interpret to determine if you are safe. One of the brain’s ways of telling you to pay attention to a potential threat is by creating pain. If you are experiencing pain, the pain is very real, and it means that your brain is experiencing too much danger.

Neuro-centric movement is the name of Adam’s movement practice and is based on the functional or applied neurology methodology of Z-Health. Functional neurology, along with modern brain science, is a new and emerging field. As of January 2021 there are only about 20 practitioners in the UK, most of whom combine functional neurology with their existing areas of expertise, like manual therapies (eg. physiotherapy), athletic coaching, and circus to enhance their effectiveness. Some practitioners may mention that they use functional neurology, some may not.

Yes, all movement affects the brain. So you could say that every coach, trainer, therapist or masseur (and everyone else) is practising neurology all the time. They just don’t realise it.

Neuro-centric movement puts the neurology first, focusing on how movement and other sensory information affects the brain - and which parts of the brain. This has profound implications as different parts of the brain are involved in different aspects of movement.

By understanding how movement affects the brain, and how the brain controls movement, you can use that knowledge to more effectively improve movement through movement itself.

A typical session involves assessing your movement (eg. your shoulder flexibility) and then training the three essential systems - movement, vision or balance - either in isolation or combination before re-assessing your movement. This process of assessing and reassessing gives us immediate insight into how your brain is interpreting the exercise. Exercises and drills that stimulate or excite your brain, give immediate positive results in your movement. While exercises and drills that inhibit your movement, tell us that your brain is perceiving it as threatening in some way. Both are good results for us as they give us keen insights into the inner workings of your brain.

Exercises might be as simple as drawing circles with your wrist, balancing on one foot, or moving your head in specific ways. I might have you look at various eye charts or follow my finger with your eyes. We may also check how your brain responds to different sensations (eg. warmth).

Some exercises might include weights or resistance bands, or we might combine a movement exercise with a vision exercise and a sensation. (Have you ever read an eye chart standing on one foot with a heat pack on your shoulder?).

I’m not a doctor or medically trained in any way and I don’t pretend to be. I teach movement.

I hold a BA(Hon) degree in Theatre and Circus as well as several gymnastic and acrobatic coaching qualifications. I’ve spent most of my life specialising in performing and teaching complex movement - from strength and flexibility training to acrobatics, tightwire and flying trapeze. After I retired from circus, I began studying neuroanatomy, adding new layers to my anatomical knowledge but focusing on what controls the muscles and bones that I’d spent a career working on. None of the techniques in neuro-centric movement are invasive or require medical training.

If you have medical issues that impact your movement, vision, vestibular or brain function, you should seek the advice of a medical professional and be cleared for movement before booking a session. Feel free to reach out to me to discuss your circumstances.

I worked alongside a friend and colleague who studied the neurology of movement. For about 5 years, we taught together and slowly integrated this approach into our circus classes both at my own circus school, Airborne Circus, and our classes at the National Centre for Circus Arts. I learned loads along the way and eventually decided that I wanted to do it too. Thanks, James.