The Allyane neuromotor reprogramming method is based on a combination of proprioception, mental imagery, and listening to low-frequency sounds generated by a patented medical device. But do you really know what mental visualization is all about, how it works, and what its benefits are for patients in rehabilitation and elite athletes? We'll explore these questions in the rest of this article.
Mental imagery: definition
Mental imagery relies on a person's ability to mentally visualize certain sensory states. This cognitive process stimulates the same brain areas involved in planning and executing a movement*. As a result, it offers the possibility of activating neural and behavioral responses that closely resemble those generated to perform a movement.
There are different forms of mental imagery: tactile, auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Visual mental imagery and...motor kinesthetic imagery (related to proprioception) are the subject of numerous scientific studies for therapeutic purposes, or as part of optimizing sports performance, such as improving service accuracy in beach volleyball (Filgueiras, A. 2016), or better accuracy in dart throwing tasks (Cumming et al. 2006), for example.
Today, mental imagery in its various forms can be used to achieve several objectives. These include:
- mental preparation for a situation;
- the achievement of a particular objective (reappropriation of a movement, for example);
- anticipating a stressful phase;
- the modification or improvement of a behavior.
What is the difference between mental imagery and visualization?
Positive visualization relies on a person's ability to mentally represent an object, situation, or sensation: it projects images onto our brain and triggers physiological reactions that closely resemble reality. Mental imagery, on the other hand, uses a person's unconscious mind to mentally visualize situations based on memories and visions. Although both practices aim to alleviate or treat certain ailments, their implementation techniques remain different and should not be confused.
What are the benefits of mental imagery?
Mental imagery has a very positive effect on improving motor functions (Johnson et al., 2002; Crosbie et al., 2004; Kimberley et al., 2006) and is particularly useful for improving athletic performance, for example. Similarly, some scientific studies tend to demonstrate the effectiveness of motor imagery at all levels of practice. It can thus promote learning in a novice athlete while helping the professional achieve a higher level of performance.
Furthermore, science has already demonstrated that mental training based on motor imagery could be particularly effective, especially for instilling complex motor skills in patients suffering from motor inhibitions.
How does mental imagery work?
Neuroscience has recently provided a clear explanation of the role of mental imagery, particularly through the lens of mirror neurons in the cortex and their function. These neurons activate in almost the same way when we perform an action, imagine it, or observe it. Their existence thus justifies the numerous learning opportunities offered by mental imagery.
Furthermore, to achieve significant results, it is necessary to develop one's ability to use mental imagery. Indeed, an athlete capable of recreating mental images clearly and precisely will be much more receptive to the effects of mental imagery. This ability is developed over time, which is why it is often recommended that sports professionals implement this technique from a young age, based on regular mental training.
The Allyane method: a combination of proprioception and mental imagery
The Allyane neuromotor reprogramming method is based on the scientific foundations of mental imagery: it relies on the patient's proprioceptive and sensorimotor sensations to develop a specific form of mental imagery.
During a session, the patient or athlete will be guided to mentally imagine the muscular and joint sensations of the "correct movement." Following this step, the certified Allyane practitioner will offer them the opportunity to listen to low-frequency sounds, emitted by one of Allyane's patented medical devices, in order to activate the motor areas of the brain and allow for the memorization and anchoring of the sensations.
What pathologies can be treated by the Allyane method?
The Allyane method can treat various pathologies, such as:
- neurological pathologies;
- ankle instabilities;
- shoulder pathologies;
- the motor skills of grasping and hand;
- elbow pathologies;
- hip lameness and gait disturbances;
- pathologies of the trunk and spine.
Our neuromotor reprogramming method can also be applied specifically to sports professionals. Allyane Sport allows athletes to improve their athletic performance, particularly by leveraging their specific visuomotor characteristics.
* Hanakawa T, Dimyan MA, Hallett M. Motor planning, imagery, and execution in the distributed motor network: a time-course study with functional MRI. Cereb Cortex. 2008 Dec;18(12):2775-88. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhn036. Epub 2008 Mar 20.