What is PRI?

So you found PRI. Welcome!

Have you:

Watched a lot of PRI videos?

Asked Google Gemini about your symptoms and had PRI as a suggestion?

Had appointments with someone who knows a bit of PRI but need help from someone with deeper experience?

Keep reading. I will explain more about what you’ve discovered, how I use PRI and what most people want to know at this stage.

Your searching so far has told you that your body is stuck in a specific pattern and no matter what you’ve done for it so far, it isn’t getting out of that pattern. You think you might be a L AIC or a patho PEC (it’s ok if you don’t know those terms yet) or you’ve tried a few techniques you saw in a video but you don’t know what to do with this information and why it isn’t working.

Let me break PRI down simply.

PRI is an approach that says your own natural normal asymmetry creates a predictable compensation pattern that shows up in everyone. If you aren’t living a life that requires you to move a lot all day (ie most of us) then you may get further wired into this pattern. Then your body will at some point have areas of discomfort or tension that you can’t ignore. Getting you out of this pattern requires understanding what got you there in the first place and that same reason is also your way out.

Read more about my thought processes around PRI on my SubStack. It’s free and written by me, not an AI :).

Visit my SubStack

What does PRI help look like?

Test and interprete

I do a deep dive with you into your patterns. I take a gait video and point out your patterns. I test all the areas of your body to show you what pattern you have as your default compensation pattern and explain it in a way you can understand. PRI looks at the entire body as a whole system and your symptoms start to make more sense in that context.

Reassess

Over subsequent sessions, I test and intervene with new techniques and strength exercises with the ultimate goal of restoring your ability to move in all directions without any difficulties.

Practice and strengthen

Then you learn how to reproduce the change yourself. I don’t end the session until you are confident you can do the technique at home. If you need a video of me walking you through the technique, we film one together. If you need notes of those details I send those to you in a dedicated app. You have access to me 7 days a week if you need help.

Your homework, which we practice in your appointment, will be to overwrite your movement habits by repeating your homework several times every day. I will also assign strength exercises (think gym exercises with a PRI angle) so you can start building stronger muscles in the newly acquired patterns.

  • You can watch PRI videos on YouTube or Instagram and attempt them yourself. You can work with someone who has taken a few PRI courses but hasn’t specialized in PRI, invested in re-taking the courses, gone through the rigorous certification process and has the support of the PRI faculty and providers network to troubleshoot and expedite your progress.

    The big difference of working with a certified provider is the ability to precisely test you (which you cannot do on yourself or with someone inexperienced), select just the right technique to make the most changes in your tests, cue you with exactly what your body needs to feel (which is different for each person) and change techniques if your body isn’t experiencing what it needs to feel. Certified providers also know how to select appropriate footwear, the recommended frequency of homework exercises and how to adjust your daily habits to get out of your pattern faster.

  • PRI relies on getting your brain and body to learn some new patterns. Building that brain-muscle-movement connection takes the time it takes and every body is different. It also takes daily focus to rewire your compensation habits. On average clients need 2-3 months of weekly appointments and daily homework to make the majority of changes and get out of your pattern. Some people need more, some less. When significant change hasn’t been achieved in a few months, I get assistance from PRI faculty to make progress.

  • I do not accept insurance and I cannot provide receipts to submit to insurance. Initial assessments are $300 plus GST. Follow up sessions are purchased via monthly packages that include 4 60-min follow up sessions and all of your support between sessions and any small equipment you might need (eg ball, band, resistance loop). Packages are $600 plus GST per month.

  • That’s common. What this is usually about is either overwhelm or perfectionism. I make sure you know exactly how to do your homework and it is feasible to do at home or at your gym. If you need videos, notes, or pictures I provide those for you. You can get support 7 days a week from me if you are unsure. I also have ways to nudge you to do your homework if you find yourself not being able to get started.

  • Yes, I can, depending on what you need help with. Generally if your issue is in your feet, knees, hips, pelvis, back or shoulders I can work virtually. If your issue is mostly in your neck or you have hypermobility or very strong patterns, I may suggest you see someone in person as hands on testing and guidance will be required. We can discuss all of that over the phone.

Intervene and retest

I select techniques based on what the testing shows. I aim for a technique that resolves the pattern in a bunch of areas in your body all at once, not just one area. I use tests to see whether the technique actually changed the pattern. If not, I pick a different technique until the results change. At this point I will usually recommend a different shoe for the time being.