THE MILICICH METHOD
Wayne identified the small number of individuals in our population that never ever experience muscle and joint pain as a result of normal life and daily activity. These people demonstrated strategies and skills as they performed their daily activities that deviate from that demonstrated by the general population. (Western population) This was a positive deviance in that they reaped the benefit in the form of not straining their body and not causing harm and symptoms in the form of muscle and joint pain.
These people have never ever been to a doctor or therapist for back or neck pain. They go unnoticed in our community and they have not previously been studied nor researched.
The observable positive deviance in this small group of our adult population is demonstrated as the norm in all 5 year old children. The positive deviants still demonstrate the same movement systems, strategies and skills as 5 year olds.
If every 5 year old demonstrates these positive strategies then all adults that no longer demonstrate these strategies for movement must have had them when they were 5 and now ‘lost’ them somewhere along the way.
Another way to express this concept is with the term Movement Intelligence. This can be measured as a Movement Intelligence Quotient. (MIQ) The remaining few positive deviants (they do not ‘do’ what the bulk of the population ‘does’) have a high MIQ and ‘the rest of the population’ have a low MIQ.
The high MIQ, elite performing people and 5 year olds are the model for the Milicich Method.
The observable difference between the positive deviants (high MIQ) and ‘the rest’ is that they move and function in a way that they work ‘with gravity’, as opposed to ‘against gravity’. To work with gravity requires the body’s full, natural movement synergies to be functioning. This is the ‘ideal body state’ that we measure everything against. These synergies are no longer functioning for the low MIQ’s resulting in them working against gravity. They deviate from the ‘ideal body state’.
Gravity is a law and to defy gravity will always result in a consequence. The degree of defiance determines the degree of consequence. Balance has two elements: Stable and unstable, there-after unbalanced will fall. To be stable at all times (perfect balance) is to work with gravity and unstable to work against (defy) gravity to varying degrees. The greater the degree of instability, the greater the defiance, and subsequently the greater the consequence is in the form of strain and muscle and joint symptoms.
Movement Intelligence is in the motor cortex of the brain. In sport training it is referred to as muscle memory though this is rather misleading as it infers the memory is in the muscle. What work the joints are the muscles, and what works the muscles is the brain or central nervous system. The Milicich Method identifies the nervous systems natural motor learning process for changing the muscle memory very quickly so that anyone can raise their MIQ.
The Milicich Method is a very simple motor learning process that works directly on the nervous system to bring about change. This change can be instantaneous once the nervous system is accessed directly using this method.
Why have over 80% of the population a low MIQ? Western cultural and social beliefs and conditioning account for much of this loss. Elements of the Bio-Medical Model that are the basis for treatment methodologies are also accountable. There are some premises within the biomechanical theory (definition of theory being a concept, idea, postulation, not based in fact) that have no research or scientific validation. They have been taught based on ‘that’s the way we always thought it to be and it has been thought so for so long now that we perpetuate the theory’.
An example of this is the instruction ‘Keep the back straight’ which many biomechanist and health professional has uttered as an instruction. We have all heard it from Mum and Dad or teacher or grandparent. This in itself is a paradox because we know that the spine is a flexible structure and not built like a thigh bone. Straight was interpreted as vertical or as close to vertical as possible (as per the biomechanical theory) and this instruction alone has resulted in people becoming unstable as they lock their spine vertical and then tilt like a rod to defy gravity, with the ensuing consequence, strain and pain.
This instruction is one of several factors that has led to the lowering of Motor Intelligence.
The biomechanical theory teaches on ‘anti-gravity’ muscles. When unstable you need the muscles to work as anti-gravity muscles so that you don’t fall as you defy gravity. Gravity is seen as the enemy.
Within the Milicich Method gravity is seen as something that we cannot live without and will not go away! (Thankfully) The method identifies pro-gravity movement systems so that we can work ‘with gravity’ and not ‘against gravity’. The high MIQ deviants still have this pro-gravity system functioning in their nervous system. They never unlearned it from childhood and still move like children as an adult.
Most people have unlearned the pro-gravity system and reprogrammed the anti-gravity system into their motor cortex. How many times have you said inside your own head ‘I’ve got to keep my back straight’ and so we have reprogrammed ourselves. It all started with the verbal instruction!
Research shows that by age 13 yrs most people have lost the pro-gavity system and reprogrammed the anti-gravity system inot their muscle memory.
A traditional biomechanical approach will identify the tight and weak muscles as the cause of the problem. The Milicich method goes one step deeper and recognizes the tight and weak muscles themselves as a symptom of the anti-gravity movement system or the low MIQ.
Everyone can raise their MIQ regardles of age, stage, size or history.
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