How the Treatment of Scar Tissue is Vital for Practitioners of NeuroKinetic Therapy®
Discover why addressing scar tissue is the missing piece that transforms motor pattern corrections from temporary fixes into lasting results.
More about NKT®
Introduction
Beyond Assessment:
The Hidden Barrier in Motor Repatterning
NeuroKinetic Therapy® (NKT®), a therapeutic approach developed by the amazing David Weinstock, is a powerful system for identifying and correcting dysfunctional movement patterns. It teaches therapists to assess which muscles are overactive (facilitated) and which are underactive (inhibited), tracing the patterns back to the brain's motor control centre.
Yet many practitioners encounter a familiar frustration: even after correcting a motor pattern, certain compensations persist, or the correction fails to "stick."
The culprit often lies in scar tissue.
Scars, whether from surgery, trauma, or chronic inflammation, alter proprioception, fascial glide, and neural input. While NKT® teaches the practitioner to recognise these issues, it does not provide a standardized technique for releasing them.
This is where MSTR® complements NKT® beautifully, in providing a gentle, precise method to free the scar, restore communication, and allow the brain to maintain its newly programmed movement patterns.
1. Scar Tissue: A Silent Saboteur in Motor Control
Scar tissue can distort sensory input to the brain:
  • It alters the tension and mobility of surrounding fascia and muscles.
  • It creates inconsistent proprioceptive signals, confusing motor control.
  • It may generate compensatory patterns elsewhere in the body.
In NKT® terms, even if a muscle is "inhibited," the brain may continue to signal the compensation because the scar sends conflicting information. Until that restriction is addressed, motor corrections are unstable.
2. Restoring Tissue Communication for Lasting Patterns
Gentle Manual Release
MSTR® targets the scar itself: Gentle manual release realigns collagen fibers.
Fascia Restoration
Fascia regains its glide and elasticity.
Neural Normalization
Neural input from the area normalises.
Once the scar no longer distorts sensory input, the brain can integrate NKT® corrections more effectively. Muscles that were previously inhibited respond as expected, and facilitated muscles return to balanced activation.
3. Enhancing Nervous System Feedback
NKT® corrections depend on the brain interpreting accurate signals. Scar tissue disrupts this feedback loop, keeping the nervous system in subtle guarding.
MSTR® restores sensory clarity, allowing:
  • More precise muscle activation during motor retraining
  • Reduced sympathetic overdrive
  • Improved systemic balance and coordination
Clients often notice that movements previously difficult or unstable now feel effortless and natural.
4. Addressing Global Patterns Through Local Release
Scars may appear small or isolated, but their impact can ripple through the body:
Abdominal Surgery Scar
An abdominal surgery scar may affect core recruitment and lumbar stabilization.
Knee Surgery Scar
A knee surgery scar may subtly alter gait, hip mechanics, and pelvic alignment.
Shoulder Surgery Scar
A shoulder surgery scar can influence scapular rhythm and cervical control.
By releasing these scars, MSTR® enables the local correction to influence the global movement pattern, allowing NKT® sequencing to function at its full potential.
5. Reinforcing Neuroplasticity
NKT® relies on the brain's ability to reprogram itself. But neuroplastic change is fragile if sensory input remains distorted.
Integrating MSTR®:
  • Clears mechanical restrictions and restores normal proprioception
  • Creates conditions for motor learning to consolidate
  • Increases the likelihood that corrected patterns remain long-term
The combination of scar release and NKT® motor retraining is synergistic. The brain learns more efficiently, and the body moves more effectively.
6. Case Insight: Post-Abdominal Surgery Scar

Client Presentation
A client presented with low core stability and chronic lumbar tension years after a laparotomy. NKT® testing revealed inhibited deep core muscles, with overcompensation in the erector spinae.
Initial attempts to retrain the pattern produced temporary improvement, but the correction did not hold.
Tissue Softened
After applying MSTR® to the abdominal scar: Tissue softened, glide restored
Feedback Normalized
Proprioceptive feedback normalised
Stable Activation
Subsequent NKT® corrections resulted in stable activation of the deep core
Low back tension decreased, posture improved, and compensatory overactivity resolved.
This example highlights how addressing the scar allowed the brain to accept and maintain the new motor pattern.
7. The Practitioner's Advantage
For NKT® therapists, MSTR®:
Reliable Method
Provides a reliable method to address a common limiting factor
Diagnostic Insight
Expands diagnostic insight into why certain corrections fail
Enhanced Precision
Enhances precision in motor pattern correction
Professional Credibility
Supports professional credibility by offering a tangible solution for stubborn cases
In short, it allows practitioners to deliver results that are not only immediate but lasting.
8. Educating Clients About Scar Influence
Clients often underestimate the systemic impact of a scar. Explaining, "Your previous surgery may be subtly interfering with how your muscles work," helps them understand why motor retraining alone might not suffice.
This transparency builds trust, compliance, and engagement in the therapeutic process.
9. Should You Integrate Scar Release Into NKT® Practice?
If you are a practitioner seeking to:
Achieve lasting motor corrections
Resolve persistent compensatory patterns
Enhance proprioceptive clarity and systemic balance
…then integrating MSTR® or a similarly precise scar-release method is highly recommended.
It doesn't replace NKT®; it enhances it, creating a foundation for the nervous system to embrace the corrected movement patterns fully.
From an NKT Practitioner…
Conclusion
Unlocking the Full Potential of NKT®
NKT® identifies the problem: the faulty motor pattern. Scar tissue often keeps the correction from sticking.
MSTR® provides the solution: releasing adhesions, restoring glide, and normalizing sensory input.
Together, they allow:
Efficient, Lasting Motor Retraining
Efficient, lasting motor retraining
Reduced Compensations and Pain
Reduced compensations and pain
Clearer Proprioception
Clearer, more accurate proprioception
Enhanced Functional Movement
Enhanced functional movement
In the world of movement therapy, understanding and treating scars transforms NKT® from a powerful assessment tool into a system capable of producing truly lasting, integrative results.
A Perfect Complement
The Missing Piece That Makes NKT® Shine!
Many NKT® practitioners have embraced MSTR® training and consistently report how beautifully the two approaches complement each other. Where NKT® identifies and corrects faulty motor patterns, MSTR® ensures that the underlying scar tissue no longer interferes with the brain's programming.
The result? Faster, more stable corrections, deeper client outcomes, and a sense of professional satisfaction that comes from seeing the body move with true freedom. Practitioners often describe it as the missing piece that finally allows the full potential of NKT® to shine.