Two of the unique systems we utilize in our office to improve patient outcomes are Be Activated and Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR). These systems help us get a better idea of what's going on in the body by understanding the nervous system better. When a patient comes in and achieves a really cool result from understanding the nervous system better, the first question that gets asked is, “what the heck just happened?” When that happens, we frame the situation in the lighting system analogy to better understand the situation.
The Light Bulbs
If we look at our body and how the nervous system works, it's a lot like a lighting system in your house. When we look at that lighting system, the first thing we are probably going to notice is the light bulbs. The light bulbs are a lot like the muscles in your body; we see when the light bulbs turn on, just like how we can see the muscles at work. We can tell when we're moving.
The Light Fixtures
If we look a little closer, we may start to notice that the lighting system has light fixtures that hold our light bulbs in place. These lighting figures are a lot like the bones and connective tissue in the body. Connective tissue attaches muscle to the bone and allows muscles to work together in the body.
The Electricity
Finally, if we pay even more attention to what's going on in that system, what we are probably going to realize is that the electricity going through that system actually allows the light bulbs to work and show light. That electricity is the same thing as our nervous system. Without the nervous system producing the signal to our muscles, our muscles pretty much are useless.
When we have people come into our office with pain or dysfunction, it is a lot like walking into a dark room. What traditionally is done is, identifying the area where pain or dysfunction is happening and addressing it. This would be a lot like going into the dark room and starting to mess with the light bulbs.
When we are utilizing Be Activated and RPR, we actually go a little bit deeper into that system to be able to check and see, “Hey, is the light switch turned on? Is the electricity working and flowing correctly?” We are going into the body to assess how the nervous system is working, if it is operating correctly, and if any bad movement patterns are causing the nervous system to display dysfunction or pain.
The cool thing is, just like when you walk into a dark room and flip on a light switch, if the light switch and the electricity are the problems, we will observe an instant change. When the nervous system is the problem, and we address it, we get instant change, just like the lighting system analogy. If not, then that's all right, because we can then work our way outward to start addressing the light fixtures and bulbs – the muscles and bones, too.