If your movement and performance have gone off the rails, then it might be time to listen to Dr. Perry Nickelston, creator of the RAIL system. RAIL stands for release, activate, integrate, and load and is just one part of Perry’s holistic approach to health, performance, and the human body.
Perry is a chiropractic physician who specializes in performance enhancement and corrective exercise. He is an expert in myofascial, orthopedic, medical, and trigger point therapy. He also trains others in the use of Class 4 Deep Tissue Laser Therapy, which he credits as part of what helped him recover from his own chronic back pain.
In addition, Perry is a certified Functional Movement Specialist and Selective Functional Movement Assessment Specialist. He is also an advocate of primal movement, an anatomy junkie, a big fan of dance, and a general pleasure to talk with. Hit “play “below and you’ll learn some brand new things about your body that can change your outlook and your health.
If you’re curious what all the controversy was about, read Perry’s article Are Your Weak Neck Muscles Making Your Hamstrings Tight? You can also learn the basics of his approach (while making your shoulders feel better) in his first article, The RAIL System: Shoulder Mobility for the Bench Press.
00:00 – Introduction to Perry Nickelston
01:10 – The chicken-or-egg debate in training injury potential
03:00 – What’s wrong with #BeastMode
03:53 – The most prevalent training injuries
04:20 – Discussing the origin of back and shoulder problems
06:39 – The complexity of connections in the body
07:41 – The importance of healthy neck movement
08:45 – Technology and its impact on posture
10:21 – Tight muscles and the mind-body connection
11:38 – What is fascia?
14:01 – Evaluating different systems of movement assessment
16:31 – Movement benchmarks and the value of “I don’t know”
17:49 – Gravitational force and body stability
20:31 – Is it possible to screen your own movement?
25:00 – Perry’s personal injury history and its influence on his practice
27:58 – How does laser therapy work?
29:50 – Sport-specific movement
30:45 – Emotional state and the body
33:40 – The “WTF” factor in training and fat loss
36:45 – Dr. Perry’s top three books on training and anatomy
42:28 – Where to find Dr. Perry online
Dr. Perry Nickelston is a chiropractic sports physician based out of Ramsey, New Jersey. Check out Dr. Perry’s podcast, Stop Chasing Pain, as well as his website. You can connect with him on Twitter and Facebook (both of which he checks and responds to frequently).
