Is RIO the help you've been missing?

"I don't want to hurt when I'm active. I don't want being active to hurt me. And I want to be active forever."

Whether you are young, old, or anywhere in between, each of your muscles needs to work at the right time, in the right amount, and do the right job for you to move well. It's your brain that tells your muscles what to do ... and these days we know your brain isn't always getting it right.

What sets the RIO Method apart?

RIO turns problem muscles and joints into powerful assets. Harnessing the natural feedback from problem areas, RIO first interrupts the brain’s use of subpar coordination. Next it directs the brain to build more effective muscle teamwork. Last, it locks in the improvements. You can feel and see your muscles and joints working better immediately — and those changes automatically becomes the brain's new normal as you go through your day.

Most diagnostic, treatment and training methods still either overlook the brain's role entirely or assume it cannot be improved. Consequently, many fixable muscle and joint problems are left to persist and are deemed permanent.

Straight Talk About Tight Muscles

Persistently tight and sore muscles exemplify what sets RIO apart.

People invest considerable time and money seeking relief from chronically tight and sore muscles. They try numerous modalities that typically offer only temporary relief. RIO looks at this from 180º around. Persistent muscle tightness can only continue as long as the brain instructs the muscle to remain tight. For a muscle to relax, the brain must signal it to let go. Often, the brain overworks certain muscles to manage a temporary posture or movement task, which might be fine initially but becomes problematic if prolonged.

Muscles are designed to function together in large teams, distributing the workload evenly and providing support for each other. However, if the brain fails to develop effective muscle teamwork, it ends up overworking some muscles while underworking others. Over time, this leads to physical wear and tear on the overworked muscles, causing them to break down and become painful and stiff. In contrast, the underworked muscles go unnoticed, effectively on a "muscle vacation."

From RIO’s perspective, chronically tight and sore muscles indicate poor muscle teamwork orchestrated by the brain. Fortunately, RIO can teach the brain how to reorganize so that each muscle contributes appropriately. With all muscles working as a team, tight muscles stop overworking, and underworked muscles start performing their roles. Over a few weeks, muscles rebuild and symptoms improve.

Even in cases of heavily damaged or altered muscles with permanent physical changes, RIO can often help the brain create more effective muscle teamwork. The result is enhanced overall function and reduced symptoms.

More about the *RIO difference*

Current neuroplastic science has made it clear — brains of any age can "rewire" themselves. Using RIO, brains can replace poor coordination with significantly improved coordination — almost instantly. That shift not only resolves many chronic problems but also protects joints and muscles from future wear and tear. Whether you're aiming to regain functionality or want to enhance your movement performance, RIO may be pivotal for your success.

Moment by moment, your brain faces a monumental coordination task. You have more than 700 voluntary muscles on each side of your body — a whopping 1400 muscles constantly in play. Your brain must instantly respond to feedback, orchestrate the teamwork between all your muscles, and adjust the workloads on every joint. This happens even while you sleep. Imagine what it takes for you to walk steadily, chew without biting your tongue, or dance the tango without injuring any joints. Now think about how complex it is for your brain to re-think your fundamental coordination during a slip-and-fall, for instance, or after car accident injuries, joint replacement surgery, or the degenerating effects of arthritis.

So why isn't your brain already perfect at controlling your muscles and joints? It's simple, really: it’s all about how brains are built. Your brain does its best to keep you moving well based on the feedback it receives and what has worked in the past. Your coordination was learned through trial and error, starting while you were still in the womb. Over time, your brain has formed efficient and committed strategies for handling posture and movement. It simply can’t afford to start from scratch, for instance, each time you want to walk across the room. However, these ingrained strategies can fall short for two reasons. First, they are not always learned correctly —like mispronouncing or misspelling a word without knowing it. Second, your existing coordination may not be refined enough to handle new, more complex demands.

One thing is sure — if you don’t change what’s not working, it’s going to continue to fail. For your brain to change, it needs to see novel feedback from the inside or experience new stimulation from the outside. RIO provides both. Other muscle-based modalities such as practice, reconditioning, stretching, and deep tissue work occasionally produce incidental upgrades in muscle teamwork as a side effect,but on the whole they rely on using your coordination as it currently exists. RIO specifically targets the brain’s role in chronic neuromuscular problems and aims to markedly upgrade your fundamental coordination.

RIO involves hands-on practice in relaxed attire, with your active involvement. Because brains learn best in a calm and coherent state, the techniques are gentle, ensuring you remain in full control at all times. RIO is safe for both young children and adults who may feel delicate. People typically find RIO fascinating and even enjoyable to experience.