Exercises in Water for Dystonia

This pool therapy series, created by Dr. Farias and physical therapist Mariana Maia, offers gentle in-water exercises designed to support people with dystonia. Aquatic therapy helps reduce pain, improve balance, strengthen muscles, and restore mobility. Highly recommended for all patients, it is especially beneficial as a second rehabilitation protocol for leg dystonia, for cervical dystonia (back, shoulders, neck, and spine mobility), for spasmodic dysphonia (releasing rib cage, abs, and diaphragm tension), and for arm dystonia (shoulders and back). A perfect complement to your existing protocol.

The Metronome Project

The Metronome Project is an auditory tool developed as part of the Dystonia Recovery Program, specifically created to support individuals living with dystonia and Parkinson’s-related dystonia. This unique playlist is engineered to help retrain the brain’s timing and movement control systems through subtle rhythmic entrainment.

Created by Dr. Farias and his team, each track uses subliminal metronomes—barely audible rhythmic pulses designed to engage the brain without interrupting your daily activities. These pulses act as an external timing signal, helping reestablish the brain’s internal rhythm by gently stimulating coordination between the auditory cortex, motor cortex, cerebellum, and basal ganglia.

We hope The Metronome Project brings more ease, rhythm, and control to your daily movements.

Rhythmicity

We are excited to introduce Rhythmicity, a neuroscientifically-designed tool developed by Dr. Farias in collaboration with his son Gabriel, designed specifically to support individuals affected by dystonia and Parkinson’s dystonia.

Rhythmicity is a unique collection of soundtracks crafted to enhance motor function in the brain through rhythmic stimulation. These tracks target both the visual and auditory cortices to trigger activity in the basal ganglia and cerebellum. By harnessing specific rhythmic patterns that align with brain activity frequencies responsible for motor and sensory signaling, this tool promotes greater neural coordination and efficiency.

Lectures

The Lectures section of the platform is where you’ll find recorded presentations, conferences, and seminars by Dr. Farias. We strongly believe that when following a rehabilitation protocol, it’s essential to understand the reasons behind each exercise and directive. Information and education are key to maintaining dedication and motivation throughout the challenging journey of Dystonia Recovery. In this series of videos, Dr. Farias will discuss the scientific background of the platform’s exercises and the design of the entire program. Some lectures are exclusively available here on the platform, while others have been shared on YouTube. However, on this platform, you can ask Dr. Farias questions, making this section a space for learning and mutual improvement.

Core Exercises

Dr. Farias has designed this simple routine to help patients train their core in a control way without forcing the back.

Proper core power and activation is important to stabilise the spine and reduce spasms in the neck and shoulders, it is also important in the recovery process of Leg Dystonia and Spasmodic Dysphonia.

Facilitated Cervical Dystonia Exercises

The exercises in this folder are a compilation designed by Dr. Farias to start the recovery process. Each exercise focuses on correcting a difficult movement for patients with cervical dystonia. Mobilisation and stabilisation of the cervical spine do not function correctly in these patients. The exercises are divided into those focusing on mobilisation, those on stabilisation, and those that work on both. Please practice these exercises after a short walk, relaxing, or taking a warm shower. It is not important to focus on the range of motion; gentle movements within a limited range are recommended, always staying in the comfort zone. If any exercise is too difficult, skip it and try again when you are further along in the recovery process. If you feel any pain, stop immediately.

Nature Sounds

Nature sounds are highly effective for promoting relaxation and improving sleep quality. These sounds create a serene environment, masking disruptive urban noises and engaging the brain’s relaxation response. This helps to reduce stress hormones, slow the heart rate, and lower blood pressure, facilitating a restful state.

Unlike artificial sounds, nature sounds offer a dynamic auditory experience that keeps the brain engaged without overstimulation. They are also used in meditation practices, aiding in achieving a meditative state and alleviating anxiety, stress, and chronic pain.

Stretching

Regular stretching offers significant benefits for those with dystonia. By helping to manage spasms, alleviate associated pain, and reduce muscle tone in affected areas, stretching plays a crucial role in dystonia recovery. Developed by Dr. Farias in partnership with Mariana Maia, a physical therapist and accomplished international volleyball athlete, this specialized stretching program is tailored to address the unique needs of dystonia patients, providing targeted stretches that promote flexibility, comfort, and an improved quality of life for individuals navigating dystonia challenges.

Dream Spaces

We have designed a new tool called Dream Spaces to help you stimulate a relaxation response in your nervous system.

At the heart of chronic stress lies the ever-vigilant sympathetic nervous system, driven by an overactive amygdala. This perpetual state keeps the brain’s pattern recognition centres, particularly the visual cortex, on high alert, as if anticipating lurking threats.

Dream Spaces steps in with a novel approach: immersing you in an environment devoid of predictable patterns. This prompts these centers to gradually release their grip, initiating a chain reaction. The amygdala senses the diminishing threat and signals the body to ease the stress response, leading to a sense of relaxation.

The auditory and visual stimuli work together to redirect your brain’s focus away from ceaseless threat assessment. As you navigate this virtual haven, inner conflicts in the brain can find resolution.

We are interested to know how you feel while using this tool to relax.

 

Please do not use this tool more than once a day.

If you feel any discomfort please stop the video.

This video may not be indicated if you are dealing with a migraine.

Not advised for patients affected by epilepsy.

Instruments

Task-specifc focal dystonias are movement disorders characterized by the sudden loss of dexterity specific to a particular motor skill. This disorder is prevalent among writers, musicians, dancers, and athletes. Recovering your dexterity requires a set of general exercises plus specific exercises practicing the skill that is affected.

At this point, we have rehab protocols for Guitar, Saxophone, Clarinet, violin and golf. Our aim is to gradually add more folders for different tools and instruments.