Motor Control
Motor control and coordination
Definition of motor control-
Motor Control is defined as the process of initiating, directing, and grading purposeful voluntary movement.
In other words- which muscles fire when.
Definition of coordination-
Coordination is the ability to select the right muscle at the right time with proper intensity to achieve proper action. Coordinated movement is characterized by appropriate speed, distance, direction, timing and muscular tension.
The ability to perform a motor task in an accurate controlled manner.
When PT’s look for motor control we often test how certain muscles fire:
Examples of this would be testing the posterior chain pattern.
When lifting one leg behind us, as in arabesque, there is a certain muscle firing pattern that is considered ‘normal’ which is opposite, then same side lumbar extensors, hamstring, then gluteus maximus.
This is an easy test test that can be used to assess if motor control is a factor for someone with lumbar or hip dysfunction.
When we look at coordination we are watching movement, seeing if it looks “right.”
A very common example of this is watching the position of the knee when someone is lunging.
Is the knee going forward over the toes, is it tracking inwards, outwards, or is it in line?
Need to determine where the loss of control is happening (hip vs. lumbar vs. foot etc).
Does a dancer hike their hip when going into passe or do they shift their trunk forward or back. These are all examples of what we define as coordination.
Superficial vs. deep muscle work
Must have stability before you can have mobility.
Deep muscles are more of your stabilizers- in most cases you want to demonstrate proper control of the stabilizers before moving onto the superficial muscles. Motor control is often looking at these deeper muscles and how they are participating in your activity.
Examples of deep muscles:
TrA
Multifidi
Rotator cuff
Psoas
Tib posterior/ peroneus longus in foot
Foot intrinsics
Muscles that support the skeleton and are used for postural support during activities even as simple as sitting or standing. They are almost like guidewires for movement, or help to fine tune the motion
Strength or power training requires the systems of the body to work together to achieve optimal force production. Therefore the motor control and coordination systems should also be assessed to ensure all layers are working appropriately.
Reps and sets (Dosage)
Dosage for motor control is high rep low load.
The load is entirely based upon getting the correct pattern and can be adjusted accordingly.
Once the pattern seems to normalize then you can jump right into training something like endurance or even strength in the same session.
Retraining motor patterns:
Sensory rich environments helps the body to connect the brain to the target area.
Tapping, rubbing, vibration all help to increase the connection
Challenge yourself to solve a problem.
Be creative with your exercise setup. Internal cues: pull your belly button towards your spine vs. External cues: gently press your spine into the back of the chair
Understanding motor control can help you train safely and reach your goals more efficiently. Training smarter not harder.