Introduction to Stability, Using DNS principles

What is DNS?

Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization is a therapy from the Prague Institute of Rehab that focuses on the relationship with the nervous system and the motor programs of the body that allow for postural control, movement and gait. The foundation of these principals finds itself in breathwork and the ability to generally IAP.

What is IAP and why is it important?

IAP, or intra-abdominal pressure, is the ability to generate pressure in the abdomen through the use of diaphragmatic breathing.

In the past, the term “core” was only used to refer to the Rectus abdominus, or the visible 6 pack abs. This definition changed to include the walls of the cylinder around your torso to include the muscles of the side and back.

The more we’ve learned about the body and how to incorporate structures with function, the term core evolved to include the roof and floor of this cylinder. The roof being the diaphragm and the floor being the pelvic floor.

IAP is the ability to generate pressure within this cylinder. The pressure generated by taking an IAB (intra-abdominal breath) or simply put, a belly breath. This creates an outward pressure that helps stabilize the spine but also creates a stable foundation from which our limbs are attached.

You probably generate and utilize IAB to create IAP every day without thinking of it.

-Moments of transitioning from standing to sitting

-Picking something up off the floor

-And if not those, then at least when you cough or have a bowel movement

Being able to generate this pressure allows you to brace and stabilize the cylinder that is our body. The inability to create IAB results in a disunion between the rib cage and the pelvis that can lead to low back pain, core weakness and an even longer list of extremity dysfunctions. Today we are going to show you what IAB looks like, and how to begin to train it.

First, start off laying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat. Take a minute to notice your breathing.

-What’s moving?

-What’s not moving?

Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly and try to actively breath in a way that causes your chest to remain still, but causes your belly to grow. When you are comfortable with this.

Start to place your fingers anywhere along your belt line and feel for pressure as you inhale -the goal is to be able to build IAP, circumferentially

In our next blog post, we will expand more on DNS and start to consider movement through the foundation of IAP. We will begin to look at how IAP helps to maintain the abdominal cylinder, what a dysfunctional core looks like and how we can use tools to measure whether we are indeed creating positive pressure outward or unstable vacuum of negative pressure.