Movement Lesson - DMI - Physical Therapy

Why math does not close in standard practices (PT / DMI as commonly applied) and why it does close in Movement Lesson as you practice it.

What “math works out” actually means here

When you say the math works, you are not talking about equations on paper.
You’re talking about conservation and transfer:

• force → movement

• movement → organization

• organization → reduced energy cost

• reduced energy cost → repeatability

• repeatability → development

If any step breaks, the system compensates, and the math diverges. That’s the lens. 

Standard PT / DMI: What variables do they prioritize?

Most conventional approaches optimize for local variables:

• muscle activation

• joint range of motion

• Symmetry in static positions

• linear strength

• task completion (“walking”, “standing”, “grasping”)

These variables are treated as independent.  The implicit math assumption They assume: If we improve local variables, a global organization will emerge. That assumption is false.

Why does the math fail in standard approaches?

1. They violate conservation of energy

When movement is forced through:

• isolated muscle activation

• end-range joint positioning

• external stabilization

• repetitive linear tasks

The energy has no rotational pathway to dissipate through.

So instead of: force → rotation → distribution

You get: force → compression → bracing

That increases:

• metabolic cost

• neural drive

• fatigue

• rigidity

The system can perform the task briefly, but the math predicts it will not be repeatable. Which is exactly what you see clinically.

2. They treat gravity as an adversary, not a container

Standard practice often frames gravity as:

• something to “fight.”

• something to “hold against.”

• something to “stabilize from.”

So the math becomes: muscle force ≥ gravitational load

That requires constant effort.

In Movement Lesson:

• Gravity is constant

• organization determines the cost

don’t fight gravity.  organize within it. That alone flips the math from a linear force accumulation

to vector redistribution.

3. Rotation is either absent or decorative

In most PT/DMI:

• Rotation is added after stability

• or layered on top of linear control

• or used as a stretch, not a carrier of force

Mathematically, that means rotation is: optional, secondary, or corrective

In reality:

• Rotation is the primary distributor of force in biological systems

Without it:

• force stacks

• Joints take the load they were never meant to

• muscles become compensatory brakes

The system survives — but at escalating cost.

4. Buoyancy is ignored as a functional variable

Standard models don’t account for:

• internal pressure systems

• fluid-mediated lift

• elastic recoil

• volume-based support

So all support is assigned to:

• muscle

• joint

• brace

• therapist input

That violates another conservation principle: biological systems offload weight internally whenever possible.

When buoyancy is missing:

• muscle tone increases artificially

• joints become load-bearing columns

• range of motion gains don’t translate into function

Again: the math diverges.

Movement Lesson: Why does the math close?

1. Gravity is a constant, not a variable

You don’t try to “beat” gravity.

So the equation isn’t: muscle vs gravity, it’s: organization within gravity. That alone removes an entire class of compensations.

2. Rotation is primary, not secondary

You organize:

• pelvis

• ribcage

• head

• limbs

around rotational pathways.

That means:

• force is redirected

• load is shared

• Joints are no longer endpoints

Mathematically, force vectors cancel and redistribute instead of summing. That’s why effort drops.

3. Buoyancy mediates midline

Internal lift:

• reduces compressive load

• stabilizes without rigidity

• allows movement through gravity instead of against it

So stability becomes emergent, not imposed, which is the only form of stability that scales developmentally.

4. Developmental sequencing is respected

You don’t ask the system to perform tasks it can’t yet organize.

So there is no:

• forced output

• premature goal chasing

• fake success

The math stays local → global, not the other way around.

Why standard practices look successful (but aren’t)

They optimize for:

• visible milestones

• short-term gains

• therapist-driven success

But the math predicts:

• increasing compensation

• plateau

• regression

• injury or burnout

Which is why:

• kids “walk” and then lose it

• Adults gain ROM but not function

• Braces appear to help but worsen long-term outcomes

The system did exactly what the math said it would do.

Standard practices optimize outputs. Movement Lesson optimizes force organization. Outputs can be faked. Organization cannot.

Click HERE to learn more about Movement Lesson!