For Medical Professionals

For Medical Professionals

RAPID NFR was created by Canadian massage therapists Rob and Sherry Routledge. They have been providing RAPID NFR training in Canada, USA, and England since January 2016. To date they have provided training to over 2500 registered health practitioners. There are approximately 500 RAPID NFR Specialists in North America and England currently providing RAPID NFR treatment. RAPID NFR is an evidence-based, soft-tissue, therapeutic technique that addresses the central nervous system’s (CNS) role in alleviating pain, tension, and restrictions within muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascial tissue, and nerves.

​

The CNS coordinates information and activity from all over the body including emotions, sensations, and hormones. RAPID NFR aims to restore soft tissue that has been damaged. Damage to the soft tissue can occur in several ways, including by trauma, overuse of the muscles, and a lack of oxygen (hypoxia). Often, a single site of damage can result in damage to other areas, or the spread of symptoms to other areas of the soft tissue. For the client, these adhesions can be scars as well as areas of tense, restricted tissue; they can be seen as "disorganised" tissue that directly or indirectly causes dysfunction or pain (including muscle weakness, fatigue, nerve entrapment). Damage to the soft tissue often results in neurological hypersensitivity, which is the body’s way of protecting itself.

​

The central nervous system becomes hyperaware of inflammation around the site of the damage. This can result in the neurological system “locking down” that tissue, resulting in pain and loss of functionality. Muscles and tendons can physically shorten, putting greater pressure on the nerves.

​

All of this can be the result of small or seemingly insignificant traumas that were never fully or properly healed. The body’s natural response is to protect itself can lead to chronic pain and the loss of range of motion. Utilizing a biopsychosocial perspective, RAPID NFR addresses the body’s perception of threat and danger. By bringing the brain to safety, most painful conditions and ROM restrictions disappear. Using nociception and movement, RAPID induces a combination of descending inhibition within the nervous system, and a powerful increase in vasodilation. These together offer near immediate and lasting pain reduction.

​

Rather than simply treating the symptoms underlying these issues, it aims to detect and correct the neurological source of them. RAPID NFR treatment includes palpation the tissues to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. The RAPID NFR therapist targets the area of treatment and applies precise and direct manual pressure during directed client movements to stimulate the mechanoreceptors in the fascia, periosteum, joint capsules, ligament, tendon and myotendinous junctions.

​

This stimulation causes the mechanoreceptors to release Substance P, which helps destroy the neutrophils and mast cells that sensitize the nociceptors, as well as directly activating the body's endocannabinoid system. Substance P can also help "heal" much older injuries that never seem to completely heal. The continued peripheral nociceptive sensitization at the injury site can be caused by the body failing to completely "flush out" all the immune cells that had originally accumulated as part of the healing process. These "old" immune cells are known to contribute to peripheral nociceptive sensitization; Substance P can help destroy these cells, thereby reducing the peripheral nociceptive sensitization.

​

RAPID can be an uncomfortable treatment for clients. For Substance P to be released, nociception must occur, but RAPID therapists are trained to work within the client's tolerance (which is not always the same as the client's comfort zone!) RAPID is also effective for longer term injuries because it’s a movement-based treatment - movement combined with (tolerable) pain can increase self-efficacy, which helps reduce the client's psychosocial fear of movement-based pain. RAPID isn't a magical solution for all pain, but it can help with a wide variety of conditions well beyond the expected movement related issues, bringing relief and restored mobility to clients who have been unsuccessful elsewhere or who have struggled with pain for a long time.

​

Clients choose RAPID because of the rapid response to treatment. This helps active individuals get back to life. RAPID is ideal for both acute and chronic conditions.

Some of the conditions that can be quickly resolved with RAPID-NFR include:

• • Headaches and Migraines

  • Strabismus

  • Tinnitus and Vertigo

  • TMJ

  • Neck pain

  • Shoulder pain (including Frozen Shoulder)

  • Restricted shoulder mobility

  • Back pain

  • Golfer's Elbow and Tennis Elbow

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

  • Arthritic pain

  • Hip pain

  • Pudendal Neuralgia

  • Incontinence

  • Sciatica

  • Bursitis

  • Knee pain (even after knee replacements)

  • Shin Splints

  • Ankle pain or dysfunction

  • Pronation and Supination problems

  • Plantar Fasciitis

  • Morton's Neuroma