Next Level Neuro 
News & Education

You’ve Nailed Biomechanics. Now It’s Time to Rethink Your Starting Point

Biomechanics got you here. Neurology takes you further.

Why Biomechanics Isn’t Enough: The Case for Applied Neurology in Modern Therapeutic Practice

You’ve seen this client before.

They show up with knee pain, low back tightness, or a shoulder that just won’t fully open.

You run your assessments.

You prescribe a thoughtful plan: mobility work, motor control, and progressive loading.

They leave feeling better — for a while.

But by the next session?

The pain is back.

The movement is stuck.

Again.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why does this keep happening?” — you’re not alone.

What if the issue isn’t with your techniques or programming but with the framework behind them?

What if we’re starting in the wrong place?

For decades, the foundation of therapeutic and performance work has been built on biomechanics — muscles, joints, fascia, posture, and gait.

And while these are critical, they don’t operate in isolation.

The truth is: all movement is brain-driven.

If you’re not assessing or training the nervous system intentionally, you're leaving transformation to chance.

Worse still, many practitioners are losing clients not because they lack expertise — but because their work isn't producing an immediate change or the pain just keeps returning. 

In a world where it has become "what can you fix today," many therapists are losing clients in the initial assessment because those clients often don’t feel or see a difference immediately, and so they don’t come back.

Applied Neurology changes that.

Applied Neurology is changing the entire game. 

It teaches you how to work with the nervous system to create tangible, measurable results — in real time.

Whether you're helping someone reduce pain, regain mobility, or improve performance, this approach gives you neuro tools to influence the system that controls it all: the brain.

Not only is this better for your clients, but it’s also better for your business.

When a client experiences change in the first session - when they can move better or feel relief immediately - they trust the process.

They buy in.

They come back.

And they tell others.

This is where applied neurology and the Transformation Ladder Framework we teach come in.

And it's time the conversation shifted from "What's tight?" to "What is the nervous system trying to protect us from?"

The Problem with the Biomechanics-First Model

The traditional model in therapy and training starts with the body: tight hamstrings, poor hip mobility, weak glutes. Assess, mobilize, strengthen, repeat.

This approach has value.

But it’s incomplete.

Most of these interventions focus on the hardware — the joints, muscles, and connective tissue.

But what controls the hardware? The software. The brain. The nervous system.

When we ignore the software, we often see temporary improvements that don't stick.

Take physiotherapy, for example: studies show that only 20% of physiotherapy clients experience long-term resolution of their symptoms.

Others see minor improvements, plateaus, or regress.

A 2020 systematic review found that chronic musculoskeletal pain recurs in up to 70% of cases within one year of discharge.

Another study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine noted that adherence to prescribed rehab exercises drops below 40% after just two weeks.

Why?

Because pain, movement, and performance are not just physical.

They’re neurological.

They are outputs of the nervous system, not inputs.

And unless we understand what the brain is interpreting as threat — and address that threat — we’re often fighting a losing battle.

Why Neuroscience Is Shifting the Field

The good news is: this is changing.

In the last decade, neuroscience has exploded in relevance for movement professionals and manual therapists alike.

We now understand that:

• Pain is an output, not always a reflection of tissue damage
• The nervous system is constantly scanning for threat, and will reduce performance or create pain to protect you
• You can train the nervous system like a muscle — with drills, inputs, and targeted activation

We’re also seeing a shift in educational institutions.

Some osteopathy and physical therapy programs are now including modules on pain neuroscience education (PNE), sensory integration, and cortical mapping.

More coaches are asking, “How do I train the nervous system, not just the body?”

The movement is here.

But without a framework, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start.

That’s where the Transformation Ladder comes in.

The Transformation Ladder Framework

At Next Level Neuro, we teach a 5-level model to help practitioners integrate applied neurology into their existing work.

It’s called the Transformation Ladder:

1. Regulation
Before anything else, the nervous system needs to feel safe. That means balancing the autonomic system (sympathetic/parasympathetic), activating the vagus nerve, and improving lymphatic drainage.

Without this, your client can’t access their full movement potential.

2. Fuel
Neurological change requires energy.

Blood sugar, hydration, breathing, and micronutrients matter.

Without metabolic fuel, neuroplasticity can’t happen. You can’t rewire a brain running on empty.

3. Inputs (Sensory Systems)
Vision, balance, proprioception, and interoception.

These sensory inputs guide every movement.

If they’re unclear, inaccurate, or undertrained, the nervous system will default to protection.

4. Integration (Motor Output)
Only after regulation, fuel, and inputs are dialed in should you load movement patterns.

This is where motor learning and pattern retraining become effective.

5. Frontal Lobe Activation
Executive function, inhibition, decision-making — all run through the frontal cortex.

When it’s online, behavior change and motor learning stick.

Most traditional approaches start at step 4 or 5.

But if the foundation isn’t there, you’re building strength and skill on a dysregulated system.

Why This Matters in Assessment

Most assessment models focus on posture, range of motion, strength, and movement screens.

These are helpful, but they don’t tell you how safe the nervous system feels.

With applied neurology, we add a layer of nervous system testing.

Using an assess/reassess model, you can test a movement (like shoulder flexion), do a simple neuro drill (like smell activation or a tongue press), and retest.

If the range of motion improves instantly? You’ve just shown the brain that it’s safe to let go.

Practitioners like Jade (aerialist and trainer), Louis (physiotherapist), and Thomas (osteopath) have reported better outcomes, faster results, and more confident clients using this model.

In some cases, first-session success rates rose from under 20% to over 90%.

And clients notice.

They feel the change.

Which brings us to the next point...

Case Examples: What Happens When We Start with the Brain

Case 1: The Persistent Shoulder Issue
A client with chronic shoulder tightness had spent months doing mobility work with little change.

One session using trigeminal nerve stimulation (jaw tapping) improved range of motion by 30 degrees instantly.

The client said, "I feel like I can breathe again."

Case 2: The Knee That Wouldn’t Extend
Post-op knee rehab had plateaued.

Traditional training wasn’t working.

One simple drill — biting down on a mouth guard to activate cranial nerves — restored the final 10 degrees of extension.

No quad work.

No manual therapy.

These results aren’t miracles.

They’re the outcome of working with the nervous system first.

Getting Started: What to Do as a Practitioner

Let’s be honest — words like "neurology" and "brain-based training" can feel overwhelming.

Most of us didn’t learn this in school.

We were trained in biomechanics, in orthopedic protocols, in strength and mobility.

So it makes sense if applied neurology feels out of reach or overly complex.

But it doesn’t have to be.

You don’t need to become a neuroscientist to start changing lives through the nervous system.

What you need is a framework.

A roadmap.

A clear starting point that helps you move forward with confidence.

That’s exactly what the Transformation Ladder Framework provides.

It gives you a progressive, practical path to integrate applied neurology into your sessions — without abandoning what already works.

Instead of guessing what drill to use or hoping a tool will help, you’ll know where to start, how to assess progress, and what your client’s system needs next.

Start small.

Observe how your clients respond to basic sensory inputs.

Use simple drills.

Test, reassess.

Build what works.

This approach is about clarity, not complexity.

And it’s for all of us.

The Industry Is Evolving. Don’t Get Left Behind.

The old model isn’t enough.

With rising client expectations, more complex cases, and lower tolerance for trial-and-error care, we need better tools.

Tools that work faster.

Tools that meet people where their nervous system is.

Applied neurology is that toolset.

When you understand how to assess, influence, and train the nervous system, you stop guessing.

You start seeing faster wins.

Clients feel the difference — and that changes everything.

Because all human change starts in the nervous system.

And now, so can you.

Want to go deeper? Learn the frameworks of our Next Level Neuro Mentorship with this free replay of our last Masterclass - Click here

Or ask for more information regarding our Mentorship Program so that we can apply these strategies in real-world practice.

• How Do You Use Applied Neurology
• What Is Applied Neurology
•  Escaping The Biohacking Trap 
• The Healthiest Sport To Extend Life
• The Neurology Of A Dopamine Detox Part 2
• The Neurology Of A Dopamine Detox Part 1
• Understanding How The Brain Interprets Stress and Its Importance - The Theat Bucket
• What Happens In Our Brains When We Sleep 
• Is Co2 or O2 Breath Training Better For You & Why
• How Do I Know Which Area of the Brain to Train?
• How The Brain Feeds And Why That Matters To Your Brain Health
• Is Foam Rolling Effective?