As a disclaimer, I am not a licensed physical therapist. I am just a mother of a severely brain injured child trying to share what has worked for Ian.
MNRI was created by Dr. Masgutava. She developed a program that focuses on motor reflex and sensory stimulation to help improve cognitive, emotional and behavioral regulation within the body.
What does that even mean!?!
We are all born with reflexes. Babies are born with the most primitive reflexes and as we get older, these involuntary reactions start integrating into more mature responses. For example, as an infant, a sudden loud noise would cause a baby’s arms to flail out or cry because it scared them. But as we age, sudden noises cause less of a dramatic response. This is a maturing Fear Paralysis reflex.
When we have a neurological injury, our reflexes can degenerate and/or get stuck in basic reflexes. The damaged nervous system can either overreact or be unresponsive to stimulation. This MNRI therapy helps normalize these inappropriate responses. Overtime the brain will learn to have more intentional and less reactive movements.
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When Ian was two weeks old I started noticing the manifestation of his brain injury. His arms and legs would stick straight out, all the time. He had knots in his back because of how tightly he held his body. No flexibility, stiff as a board all day, even when he slept. So much trauma at birth caused his nervous system to go into heightened protection mode.
And I quickly learned that making him move was never going to teach his mind; his nervous system overrode any learning because of his trauma. I could move his arm in and out a million times and he would have never learned until we calmed his nervous system.
MNRI therapy sends gentle messages to the brain. It regulates the overacting response and helps the brain organize movement in the body.
Over the past two years I have seen Ian improve, not just in mobility, but also in security. Calming the nervous system has helped him heal from his traumatic injury.
It doesn’t matter the age or injury. This method is easy to learn and when done consistently has shown amazing results.
Here is the website to MNRI. Please contact me if you have any questions.
https://masgutovamethod.com/