050: DNS with MICHAEL RINTALA D.C
Show Notes
Are you unknowingly training yourself into injury and underperformance every time you paddle out?
This episode explores how Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS)—a system based on infant motor development—is transforming the way pro surfers train, recover, and perform. With elite surf athletes like Kelly Slater and teams in the World Surf League using DNS, it’s time to understand why it matters to your surfing. Dr. Michael Rintala, one of the world’s top DNS instructors, breaks it all down.
Discover how DNS builds rock-solid core stability without a single crunch or plank
Learn why poor breathing mechanics are the root of back pain, bad pop-ups & slow paddling
Understand the link between elite surfing technique and the first two years of human life
Hit play and unlock the system used by the world’s best surfers to move better, last longer, and surf harder—with less wear and tear.
Michael Rintala gives an in depth explanation of DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization) & and how it relates to the surfing athlete.
Michael’s website: https://www.rintalachiro.com/
DNS - The Running Athlete:
https://www.rintalachiro.com/seminars/dns-the-running-athlete--March-2020--SanDiego--CA.html
DNS 1 on the Gold Coast early 2020:
https://www.rehabps.cz/rehab/course.php?c_id=1540
Others:
https://www.rintalachiro.com/seminars
DNS Home Page:
https://www.rehabps.com/REHABILITATION/Home.html
Key Points
Michael Rintala, a top-level DNS instructor, discusses his background as a chiropractor specializing in sports medicine and rehabilitation, and his work with the World Surf League and Prague School of Rehabilitation.
DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization) is explained as a system based on developmental kinesiology, focusing on the neurophysiological aspects of motor development after birth, and its application in enhancing athletic performance and rehabilitation.
Michael shares his personal experience with DNS, highlighting its effectiveness in resolving chronic pain and improving overall movement efficiency, which inspired him to integrate it into his training practices.
The importance of the diaphragm's function in the deep stabilizing system is emphasized, noting its role in respiration, stabilization, and coordination, which significantly impacts athletic performance and injury prevention.
The concept of functional capacity and the functional gap is introduced, explaining how DNS helps athletes maintain optimal movement quality and avoid compensatory patterns that lead to injuries.
The application of DNS in coaching is discussed, highlighting how improved stabilization and joint centration can enhance technique and performance across various sports.
Common injuries among elite surfers, such as low back, neck, shoulder, knee, and ankle issues, are addressed, emphasizing the need for optimal stabilization to prevent both repetitive and traumatic injuries.
Michael Rintala mentions upcoming courses integrating Kinesio tape with DNS, and DNS-specific courses in various locations, including Japan, Hawaii, and Australia.
Outline
Introduction and Background of Michael Rintala
Michael Rintala is a chiropractor based in San Diego, California, specializing in sports medicine and rehabilitation.
He has a private practice and also works with the World Surf League Tour, the PGA Tour, and is on the USA Surfing Performance Committee.
Rintala is an international instructor for the Prague School of Rehabilitation, teaching Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS).
His background includes competitive tennis, which led to injuries that sparked their interest in chiropractic and rehabilitation techniques.
Rintala has been studying and practicing DNS since 2003, integrating it into their work with athletes and patients.
Overview of Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS)
DNS is based on the concepts and principles of developmental kinesiology, which studies the neurophysiological aspects of the maturing locomotor system after birth.
The system focuses on motor development milestones from birth to about two years of age.
During this period, the central nervous system matures, establishing postural foundations and hardwired motor patterns that persist throughout life.
DNS uses this knowledge to assess, treat, and train adolescents and adults, aiming to improve the efficiency of movement and stabilization.
The approach emphasizes the function of the deep stabilizing system, which includes the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and the entire abdominal wall.
By improving the synergy, coordination, and timing of this system, DNS aims to create better joint centration throughout the kinematic chain, enhancing performance and reducing injury risk.
DNS Principles and Applications
DNS focuses on recreating optimal movement patterns observed in infants during their developmental stages.
These patterns are seen as the ideal fundamentals for efficient and effective movement in adults.
The system addresses issues caused by postural habituation, repetitive movements, and injuries that can disrupt the synergy and timing of the deep stabilizing system.
DNS provides specific assessments to recognize insufficiencies in movement and stabilization.
It offers manual methods to facilitate better quality stabilization and active exercises to enhance stabilization and movement quality.
The approach is not about learning new movements but rediscovering and optimizing innate movement patterns.
DNS can be integrated with other training and rehabilitation methods to enhance overall performance and reduce injury risk.
Benefits and Applications in Sports
DNS has shown benefits in various sports, including surfing, tennis, golf, and others.
It helps athletes improve their movement efficiency, reduce injury risk, and enhance performance.
For surfers, DNS principles can be applied to improve paddling efficiency, pop-up speed, and stability during maneuvers.
The system addresses common injuries in surfing such as lower back, neck, shoulder, knee, and ankle issues.
By improving the quality of stabilization and joint positioning, DNS can help athletes perform better and recover from injuries more effectively.
The approach is particularly valuable for dynamic and explosive movements, such as aerial maneuvers in surfing.
DNS Training and Courses
Rintala conducts various DNS courses and workshops.
Upcoming events include a course integrating Kinesio tape with DNS, featuring collaboration with Tim Brown and Steve Capobianco.
There is a running-specific course scheduled in March.
Rintala will be teaching in Japan in December.
A sports-specific course will take place in Hawaii during surfing competitions in December, co-taught with Chris Prosser from the WSL.
Courses are planned in Australia, including a DNS exercise course and an athlete movement preparation course on the Gold Coast in February.
These courses cater to a range of professionals including clinicians, trainers, and coaches, offering opportunities to learn and apply DNS principles in various athletic and therapeutic contexts.
Transcription
Michael Frampton
Welcome back to the show, surfers.
Michael Frampton
I'm recording this intro from the Northern Beaches in Sydney. I am here for just over a week. If anyone has any guest contacts while I'm here, please let me know. We'll be doing a road trip up the East Coast up to Byron Bay. So if anyone has any contacts in Byron Bay that could be good guests, and of course anywhere along the way between Sydney and Byron Bay, let me know as well. That's mike at surfmastery.com, or you can go to Instagram and DM me there as well. Today's episode is about the human body. I've been studying health and fitness and human movement for a long time, and DNS is by far the most detailed and logical and effective system that I personally have discovered so far. It is infantile kinesiology. It is quite detailed and very rehab-based. Anyone who's a trainer should be looking into DNS, and this episode is all about that.
Michael Frampton
Therapist, coach.
Michael Frampton
Why is it relevant to surfing? Well, the World Surf League are using DNS instructors for their athletes, and so are a lot of other team sports, and it's been around for a long time, but it is just starting to become more and more popular, and for good reason. And in this show, you will learn all about it with today's guest, Michael Rintala. Michael is a top-level DNS instructor and has been working directly with the WSL and their athletes. He's been running courses on how the DNS principles apply to training athletes, in particular the surfing athlete, and that was where I met him, on a DNS course, specific DNS course. Over the next 40 minutes or so, you will learn a lot more about him, the DNS system, and how it applies to.
Michael Frampton
The surfing athlete. Michael, welcome to the show. Thank you. Can you give us just a quick rundown on your background?
Michael Rintala
Yeah. My name is Michael Rintala. I'm a chiropractor based out of San Diego, California, where I have a private practice specializing in sports medicine and rehabilitation. Besides my private practice, I spend some time, a little bit of time on the World Surf League Tour, the professional golf tour, PGA. I'm on the USA Surfing Performance Committee, and I am one of the international instructors for Prague School of Rehabilitation, teaching dynamic neuromuscular stabilization, or DNS. So DNS is based off of the concepts and principles of developmental kinesiology, which is the neurophysiological aspects of the maturing locomotor system, basically motor development after birth.
Michael Frampton
What is DNS? Originally that's how we learned to move.
Michael Rintala
Yeah. That's where it all begins. When we're first born, though functionally and structurally we're immature. Our central nervous system still isn't mature. And when we're newborns, we're reliant on primitive reflexes, so grasp reflex, sucking reflex, startle reflex. Those help keep us alive. As our central nervous system matures, by three months of time, we have the ability to create synergy, coordination, and the timing needed to create stability through our trunk and pelvis. So that three-month period of time is a developmental milestone. From there, going on to about two years, we have the central nervous system maturing in the subcortical region of the central nervous system, or the brain. And this is where our postural foundations are established. So from three months, we'll have developmental milestones at four months, five months, six months, going from being on our backs or face down to being able to lift our limbs, our heads out of support function, and eventually being able to turn all the way over, crawling, kneeling, squatting, standing, eventually walking. So that kind of three-month to two-year period of time where we have that central nervous system maturation, and if that central nervous system maturation is healthy, we develop the hardwired motor patterns that we have throughout our lives. So we have that ideal quality of stabilization, ideal efficiency of movement. As adults, we have different head size compared to our body. We have different shape of our thoracic cage. We have different limb lengths. So there's differences that way from an infant to an adult. But we still have those same hardwired motor patterns that are manifest during those developmental stages and with that central nervous system maturation.
Michael Frampton
That's a good.
Michael Rintala
Explanation. Kind of going deep there. So Professor Kolaj, with his experience, again, as a pediatric physiotherapist and working with some of the top pediatric neurologists in the Czech Republic, came up with these concepts and principles, saw the aspects of developmental kinesiology and those developmental milestones in all human movement, even as adults. So with the knowledge of developmental kinesiology, the quality of movement and stabilization that he sees during that time, we can use that knowledge as assessment, treatment, and training for the adolescent or the adult athlete. So there's certain things that we can look for or assess as far as in the adult patient or the young athlete or just general public as far as how their deep stabilizing system is, how efficiently it's functioning. And then based off of those assessments, we can utilize specific, what we call active exercises, positions based off of those developmental kinesiology milestones, specific points of support, specific activation of the deep stabilizing system, which is diaphragm, pelvic floor, the entire abdominal wall. We can utilize that knowledge and that example to help train more efficient transfer of force and load in the athletes that we all work with, whether you're a clinician like me or a trainer or a movement coach or a specific sports coach.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, I can speak from experience both as a patient and as a trainer. A few years ago, I was in a state where I couldn't put my socks on without breaking into a cold sweat. My lower back was just in agony. My shoulder was killing me. I'd seen everyone. I'd seen multiple physiotherapists and physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncture, massage, the list goes on. And then I was in New York at the time, and there was a DNS place there. And I walked in, no expectations. And they got me lying down doing this breathing exercise. And I thought, well, this is not going to do anything. What are you guys doing? And then I stood up 20 minutes later and for the first time was pain-free. It blew my mind. And then we went to some more sessions and fixed the shoulder, fixed the knee. And I was like, well, this is something here. So that inspired me to dig deeper and study it. And now I'm using it with my clients, both with rehab stuff and just the whole system inspires you to get far more detailed with technique and all other exercises. And it's just been mind-blowing. So I can speak on both those levels.
Michael Rintala
That's excellent. And it's kind of my experience too, getting into this. I played competitive tennis growing up and I played it in college. By the time I got to college, I was falling apart. You know, tendonitis, knees and shoulders, and basically over-training, poor stabilizing strategies. And I ended up with what's called a spondylolisthesis, which is a kind of a fracture in your spine. And that kind of drove me in the direction that I've come to, which is being a chiropractor. And at that time, I went through everybody trying to figure out what was going on, trying to get better. And it wasn't until I actually went into chiropractic school, kind of selfishly trying to figure out how I'm going to fix myself because nothing was getting me there. And in school, I got introduced to the Prague School of Rehabilitation, which is where Professor Kolaj developed DNS. And it was one of the first times reading and looking at the material and the way of thinking that made sense. And then from that point on, I just pursued it. Eventually, I went over to Prague. This is like 2003, kind of dating myself, a long time ago. And since that time, I've just been, you know, I got myself back to where I could do what I wanted to do and perform how I wanted to perform. And I just kept pursuing more knowledge, learning from Prague School of Rehabilitation, Professor Kolaj and all the physiotherapists, to the point where I am now where I'm teaching for them and I utilize it with everything I do, whether it's my own activities or helping to rehabilitate my patients and train my patients. But the beauty that I see with DNS is it's not something that, you know, you have to replace everything you're doing. It's something that you can easily integrate to what the good work that you're already doing and just enhance that. Because, you know, I was doing lots of good stuff. You were doing lots of good stuff. That was the piece of the puzzle that kind of put it all together to move us into the direction that we wanted to move in. And, you know, for you, one of the main concepts and one of the main focuses of DNS is to focus on the function of the diaphragm because it's a huge component in that deep stabilizing system, which is, again, diaphragm, pelvic floor, the entire abdominal wall. So six-pack muscles, oblique, transverse abdominus, including the intersegmental musculature throughout the spine. When you have that synergy, coordination, and timing of that group of musculature, you have that ability to create a fixed point through the trunk and pelvis, which then helps create what we call joint centration throughout the kinematic chain. So like you said, you got your back under control, but then you started clearing up your shoulder and your knee and everything else that ties into that whole chain. So that ability of the diaphragm to function with both respiration, stabilization, and then coordinate between those two is a key factor where I see especially my athletes fall apart. And if I can help train them to get that back, then it's huge, not only for their stabilizing strategy and helping get rid of pain, but there's a huge enhancement in the efficiency of movement, transfer, and load, which heightens their performance or increases their performance potential.
Michael Frampton
It sure does. I've seen that with plenty of my athletes. Right. Yeah, and they're blown away. They can't even make sense of it. Right.
Michael Rintala
Right. At first, I mean, yeah, we were talking before, you're talking about with your rugby athlete, and just working on the breathing, like you experienced, you're like, what is this going to do? But that breathing component, that respiratory component of the diaphragm mimics the stabilizing strategy as well. So when we go to move, before we even move, the diaphragm is going to descend. It's going to create this intra-abdominal pressure that eccentrically loads the pelvic floor, eccentrically loads the entire abdominal wall, creates an unloading, uprighting throughout the spine. So if we can improve the respiratory function, which when we take a breath, the diaphragm descends as well, then automatically we're improving the function of stabilization. And if we do that, and we get the coordination between both, then we improve that efficiency of movement, stabilization, as well as respiration, and lots of good stuff happens with that. Yeah.
Michael Frampton
You can't fire a cannon from a canoe. Right.
Michael Rintala
You need that base. Yes. And that's the thing. It's when that synergy coordination timing of deep stabilization provides a fixed point for the larger muscle groups in the body. If you don't have that, if you lose that efficiency, you can still move, you can still function, you can still get the job done, but you're using more of a high-threshold compensatory pattern. And when you do that, you start to overload the passive structures throughout the kinematic chain, the transitional areas throughout the spine, and you lose that full potential for transfer of load and force and performance, and you kind of beat yourself up in the process. So what I see is there's plenty of really good athletes that are successful that don't have the efficiency of that deep stabilization, like the Roger Federer's or the Kelly Slater's, you know, those athletes that really rise to the top, the Marcelo Garcia of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Those athletes that naturally have that ability, you see them rise to the top. They do get injured, but it's not as often, and they don't stay injured as long as the other athletes, and their durability and longevity within their career tends to be longer. So you can still be a very good athlete, very successful, but if you don't have that quality that can be trained, that can be assessed, then maybe your career isn't quite as long, maybe you're injured more often. And this goes not only with athletes, but just the general public as well. People trying to work out, they'll start working out hard, they get hurt, they stay hurt, finally things calm down, and then they continue this cycle of trying to do that. So in the general public, or with collegiate junior athletes, not necessarily on the pro level, we can still be effective, we can still help them get more durability, more longevity, enhanced performance. Maybe they're not making their living off of it, but we can still help them with playing and enjoying it.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, longevity is a big one. And in terms of the surfing workshop that we did a few months ago in Huntington, some of the pictures of the way the baby is standing, and compared with the way that Kelly Slater is standing in the barrel, is just uncanny, right?
Michael Rintala
So with that, and that's what Professor Kolodz recognize working with pediatrics, in these developmental milestones, you see the squat position, you see the lunge position, turning from supine, rolling over to your stomach, that's a turning sequence. So when you're, say, making the bottom turn, you know, on the wave, and then coming up and coming off the lip, that's part of that turning sequence. And you'll see that, again, that same quality, that same motor function that we see during developmental kinesiology, within the surf athlete and with everything that they do, but within the runner, within the soccer player, within the tennis player, within the weightlifter. So it's really that those developmental milestones are the optimal fundamentals that if we can keep that pure quality of motion, then we're going to be really successful with our movement. What happens, though, is, you know, especially as adults, especially as we start getting into school, there's certain things that mess it up. One, postural habituation, repetitive sitting. You know, repetitive, or just sitting in the driving position, whatever you're doing day in, day out. Repetitive movements, so our athletes doing the same maneuvers, same actions over and over. Injury can affect that synergy coordination and quality of timing of that deep stabilizing system. And if you're dealing with an athlete, usually you're looking at all three. So it's something, again, with the DNS coursework, you know, we work on specific assessments to recognize those insufficiencies. If you're in the clinical track, we work on specific manual methods to help facilitate better quality of stabilization. And with the exercise track, sport track, we're looking at assessments, ways to cue, and ways to utilize the active exercises to enhance that quality of stabilization and movement.
Michael Frampton
You mentioned good posture and good technique. It's not only unique to surfing, it's ubiquitous through all athletics. Yeah. Like you look at the way Roger Federer steps forward to make a shot, and it's the same way that a surfer might move through a top turn, for example.
Michael Rintala
Right.
Michael Frampton
And then you look at the similarities between how the infant develops, and you see it.
Michael Rintala
Right. So in the class that you were in, if you remember, I showed the video of Kai Lenny getting up on, you know, paddling, and then coming up on this monster wave. And within that whole sequence, you could see a three-month position, four-, and five-month developmental position, and then hopping up to a 12-, 13-, 14-month squat, oblique squat, while he's on the wave. And then kind of going through that turning sequence, but then going into the squat position, you know, ducking to when the barrel comes over him. So, yeah, whether it's a surf athlete or the, you know, the tennis player, the jiu-jitsu athlete, you see that those developmental positions within all the movements. So it makes sense to utilize that knowledge of developmental kinesiology to assess, to treat, and to train, to help the people that we work with. Yeah. Yeah.
Michael Frampton
Yeah, it's ubiquitous through all sports. Yeah. It's human movement. It's, and it gives rise to not only performance, but longevity, and good technique, and just the way you look.
Michael Rintala
Yeah.
Michael Frampton
Like, it doesn't look right if you're not, if your skeleton's not organized correct. It looks more graceful if you're standing nicely and relaxed and efficiently, et cetera.
Michael Rintala
So you look at the athletes like, you know, Michael Jordan, again, Kelly Slater, Roger Federer, these athletes that not only perform at their top, but perform, have performed for a long time and have that durability. They're beautiful to watch, and there's a reason they have that nice quality of movement. They're able to move fluidly. They're able to relax when they need to. They're able to explode when they need to. They make it look easy, basically. When you see that, you see, you know, inherently they've been able to maintain that quality of movement and stabilization since those developmental milestones. Athletes like that, they're still going to fall into postural habituation, repetitive movements, and injury. So if you can utilize the DNS, you know, concepts and principles on that type of athlete, they respond so quickly. And athletes in general, they have really good cortical function, meaning they can intake their environment, process it very well. And if they have that good cortical function, optimal postural foundations, they're going to be, they're going to do very well. Now, there's other, you know, there's psychological factors and other factors that will affect, you know, quality of performance. But those athletes with that good cortical function or body awareness respond beautifully to the DNS assessment and treatment and training. But the real challenge as a practitioner or a trainer is to take that athlete that doesn't have that, who's maybe lost it because they've been relying on high threshold compensatory strategies, and being able to help that athlete. Because those athletes, maybe they take a little bit more time, a little more effort to get the feel of it, and improve that efficiency of quality of stabilization and transfer of force and load. But they see huge improvements when you're able to help them. And one of the, you know, one of the aspects of DNS is, yeah, we're going to train respiratory postural function of the diaphragm. We're going to train better synergy coordination and timing of deep stabilization. But we're going to help them get better body awareness. There's specific things that we will do and utilize to help train that. And if they can train that, and they can train their awareness and their feel of activation of that deep stabilizing system, then they will be able to keep that, and they will be able to train in a way where that becomes automatic subcortical, which is what we see again during the developmental process. So part of the aspects of utilizing DNS is to help train that awareness so that they can, once they've trained it, once they have that quality, then they can just react, which is, as an athlete, you don't want to be thinking about, I have to activate here and put my foot here and do this. You want to just perform. But in order to do that, we can help them get those fundamentals, kind of wake up or get those hardwired motor patterns that they still have from the developmental milestones to manifest as adults. And so that's the big thing. We're not necessarily training hypertrophy or muscle strength, but we're training the central nervous system. And when you have that synergy, when you can tap into those hardwired genetic programs that again are manifest during that central nervous system maturation, then you create the synergy. And the synergy is where you get that real power and you get that fluid, efficient, effortless motion, but effective motion and effective transfer of force and load. So that's kind of the main aspect of DNS. And that's why I find that it integrates so well with, you know, if you're a strength coach, if you're a movement coach or a movement specialist, you add this aspect of it and it's like you're upgrading the software. And you're enhancing that ability to utilize the things that you're already doing.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. Well, you mentioned the word training and upgrading, but is it maybe more specifically, it's not necessarily that you're learning something new, you're just rediscovering something that's already there.
Michael Rintala
Exactly. So what happens if, you know, with movement and especially with athletes, we have kind of what's called a functional capacity, like our ability to maintain that quality of movement and transfer of force and load, that synergy coordination and timing of deep stabilization. Now, as athletes and when we're training, our tendency or kind of our goal is to go past that. And we go past our functional capacity, our ability to maintain ideal. Then we go into what's called the functional gap. So we got to push to help raise the ceiling of functional capacity. But so if we dose it right, if we dose our training right and we have good technique, we can do that. But if we spend all of our time in the functional gap, if we're constantly pushing past our capacity, then we're training compensation patterns. We're using more high threshold strategies, which still is going to get the job done. But that has a toll on the passive structures throughout the body. We overload the joints. We overload the transitional segments of the spine. By utilizing DNS, we increase that ability to stay within your functional capacity. You're still going to push into the functional gap, but it won't be as often. And when you do, you'll be able to integrate that and heighten the full functional capacity, the full efficiency of movement so that you don't overload the passive structures of the body. And ultimately, you have a higher performance potential. Because if you're always in the functional gap, you're always using high threshold patterns, there's going to be more injuries. Those injuries are going to keep you from training. So your ultimate peak performance will be compromised. You can't quite reach that full potential. Another main goal is to train that function that helps manifest or wake up those quality patterns. And then train them to a degree where you can stay within that ideal transfer of load and force. And not only have the potential to decrease injury, but enhance performance.
Michael Frampton
And it's in, for me, it's about the details too, isn't it? And it's not just relevant for trainers and clinicians. I think it's relevant for just anyone who's a coach who assesses technique. Because this is human movement, and it's the most efficient way to move, and it's relevant to all techniques of all sports. But the secret here is it's not about, it can be, the more detailed you are, the more powerful it is. Like for me, having a good practitioner shift my pelvis four millimeters just changes the game. Like two millimeters sometimes. It takes you from being in an easy position to being in a hard, the whole body's fired up and I get out of pain sort of thing. It's amazing. It.
Michael Rintala
Allows you to perform. And talking about coaches develop their eye. Whether it's a surfing coach, whether it's a track coach, pitching coach, a batting coach. They train their eyes to see technique faults. And they can talk to their athletes about those technique faults, give them cues to correct. One thing, if you help facilitate better quality of stabilization and what we call joint centration, position of the joints through a full range of motion throughout the whole kinetic chain, then if you do that, you're going to be able to get in the positions that the coach wants. You're going to be able to do the motions or put the effort out that the coach wants. A lot of times, coaches will come to me and say, okay, this is what's happening. Like a golfer, they can't, they're not getting back on their golf swing. They're getting stuck and then they're opening up. And then they're not being able to rotate through the hip. And if I address the quality of stabilization and joint position and transfer of force and load, then without even giving them cues, technique cues, their technique starts to improve. So then the coach, they go back to their coach, the coach gives them these cues, and now they can get into the position that the coach wants them to get into. So it's not only for clinician and trainer, but again, coach and movement specialist. They can utilize this knowledge. They can utilize the assessments to see the insufficiencies. And then if they address them or they send them to the movement specialist or the strength coach or the clinician or rehabilitation specialist to address those issues, when they come back to them, it makes their job a lot easier. And it's that teamwork or that working the coach, working with the strength and conditioning specialist who's working with the rehabilitation specialist, that's going to be better for the athlete and for the person that wants to achieve their goals.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. And like I said before, it's easier to learn than you think because you're not learning, you're rediscovering.
Michael Rintala
Yeah. One of the questions I get is, well, and I kind of addressed at the beginning is, you know, we don't have the same body types as the infant, so why are we going to move like the infant? And that's a common theme. And I come back with what I said in the beginning. It's like, yeah, we have different proportions, our head size, our thoracic cage shape, our limb lengths, our pliability, our mobility. That's a factor, but we still have those hardwired ingrained motor programs. And if we enhance those, we can enhance that ability to move with the quality that the infant was moving with during that developmental time. So, yeah, I've been practicing over 20 years now. And it's one of the things that is a key part, obviously, of what I do. And I've been able to see the results over that time. Now, I utilize other things. I do specific soft tissue work. I mobilize, kind of like a chiropractor. And all that will enhance what I'm trying to do with the DNS. But I have specific strength and conditioning coaches that I will send people to, because I know that they're going to continue that process of quality over quantity and keep that synergy coordination and timing of the deep stabilizing system. And then, if I can talk to the coach, who understands what I'm doing, that's going to, again, be the best synergy to help that athlete succeed.
Michael Frampton
So, your experience working with elite surfers, how's that been? What have you come across? Any common injuries, common objections?
Michael Rintala
Yeah. So, one, they're great to work with, just as a group. I love working with them, just their attitude and their motivation. And their work ethic. So, common things, low back, neck, shoulder, knee, ankle. Especially now, everybody's doing more and more aerial maneuvers. And the landings are, there's more traumatic injuries. So, a lot of the low back, hip, shoulder, neck, is with their repetitive postures, repetitive movements, paddling and popping up and then doing the movements on the wave. You see them kind of going past what they're being able to maintain that functional capacity. So, you'll see them utilizing more compensatory high threshold patterns. And you see more overload in the low back, in the neck, in upper back area, in the shoulder, in the hip. Because that affects, again, the loading in those areas. So, with the repetitive nature of the movements and postures, those are the main areas that I see. That can, again, affect performance. If we don't have that ideal quality of stabilization, we're not going to have the ideal quality of support function of the foot. Of position of the knee, hip, and pelvis. So, if they develop these compensatory patterns and lose that optimal ability to support, as they come up, launch off the wave, go into their 360, backflip, and then land in not optimal positions, then we're increasing that risk for those traumatic type of injuries with the aerials and with the landings. So, you need that quality not only for the repetitive type injuries, the tendonitis, and the disc injuries, and everything else, but you need that quality for the dynamic aerial explosive maneuvers that they're doing as well.
Michael Frampton
Especially, like, even just like the three-month position, like, using the principles of that to whether you lie on a surfboard can change the game. Yeah. And then, you know, obviously, sometimes we're doing some pretty fast pop-ups. So, you've got the six-month and seven-month position, which getting stable on those can help the speed and efficiency of your pop-up and save that lower.
Michael Rintala
Back. And, you know, talking about paddling, I mean, that's what we're doing most, actually, when we're surfing. So, you know, having that quality, you're going to be able to get to the wave quicker. You're going to be able to, you know, if you're competitive, beat out your opponent. Or, you know, if you're competitive in the lineup, you're going to be able to get that wave quicker than the other guy or gal. So, it's a huge component because everybody thinks of, you know, the bottom turn, off the lip, and the aerials. But you've got to be able to get to the wave and get in the position that you want to get to then do all that amazing stuff.
Michael Frampton
Awesome. Can you tell folks where you're working from?
Michael Rintala
I work out of a place called Function Smart. It's a physical therapy facility. Independent but within San Diego, California. It's kind of by La Jolla, Del Mar. People would know that.
Michael Frampton
It's about, what, five minutes inland from Blacks?
Michael Rintala
Yes. Good one. Yeah. As far as, you know, so I work out of here, and I see patients. All sorts of athletes, surfers, golfers, tennis, football, baseball. But I see general population as well. And we do courses here. We actually have a course coming up in two weeks. It's a, we're integrating Kinesio tape with DNS, which is a really cool one for anybody that utilizes the Kinesio tape.
Michael Frampton
Is that with Tim Brown? With.
Michael Rintala
Tim Brown, yes. Yeah. Tim Brown and Steve Capobianco with Rock Tape. Tim Brown with IntelliSkin. So I'm really excited about that one, to be able to integrate and collaborate with them. Because those are two great minds. And again, it's kind of illustrating that point of how we can integrate with other approaches and other techniques and other tools to enhance what we're doing. And then in March, there's a running specific one. And coming up in December, I'll be teaching in Japan. And then I go right from Japan to Hawaii during the beginning of December during the competitions then. And the 10th, 11th, 12th, we're doing a sports specific one. And that's with Chris Prosser from Australia, who's with the WSL.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. I'll put links to all of this stuff in the show notes and on my website. And.
Michael Rintala
So that will list the upcoming stuff. But that's going to be a really nice one. Just, I mean, location alone. And then you took the DNS-specific And you're We'll probably do that at some point next year.
Michael Frampton
One. Yes. Yep. Going to do that again?
Michael Rintala
We don't have it solidified yet. But we are actually, at least for the U.S. But in February, beginning of February, I'm going to Gold Coast in Australia. And we're doing a DNS exercise one, followed right by a specific athlete movement preparation. There'll be like a specific focus on the surf athlete, but open to every other type of athlete that you may work with. So the Gold Coast, and that's with Rodrigo Perez, Bartholomew Perez with Holistic Health. Yep. And he was at the one that you were at. And he trains a lot of surfers and does a lot of different movement strategies. So it's a nice combination to combine those two. Yeah. And with those, I'll give you a link to that one as.
Michael Frampton
Well. Yes. As soon as that stuff has been confirmed, I'll share all of that on Instagram. And I'll make sure to share all your stuff so people can just keep an eye on my Instagram. And I'll mention it on the relative pre-show shows as well. Awesome, man. Well, thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it.
Michael Rintala
Thank you. I love sharing this stuff. And I'm glad that you got so much out of that initial course. And I think as you keep working with it, you'll get better and get more and more out of it.
Michael Frampton
Yeah. And I want to help share this because people need to know it. Thanks for the opportunity. All right. Thank you. Thank you.
50 DNS with Michael Rintala DC - Treating Dr for WSL
For the passionate surfer—whether you're a weekend warrior, a surf dad, or an older surfer—this podcast is all about better surfing and deeper stoke. With expert surf coaching, surf training, and surfing tips, we’ll help you catch more waves, refine your paddling technique, and perfect your pop up on a surfboard. From surf workouts to handling wipeouts, chasing bigger waves, and mastering surf technique, we’re here to make sure you not only improve but truly enjoy surfing more—so you can get more out of every session and become a wiser surfer. Go from Beginner or intermediate Surfer to advanced.