Neuro Emotional Technique

Neuro Emotional Technique, usually shortened to NET, is a mind-body method offered within Cohn Health Institute’s Chiropractic and Kinesiology department. It focuses on the physical side of a stress response. The word “emotional” in its name can create confusion: NET is a distinct technique, and an appointment for it should have a clear purpose that you understand before treatment begins.

CHI’s existing description connects NET with unresolved stress and its physical expression. That focus distinguishes it from a service aimed only at an injured muscle or joint. The department uses several approaches, and the choice of technique follows the individual’s circumstances rather than a single formula for everyone.

What the technique involves

NET’s developers describe a process that uses muscle testing, discussion of a stress-related experience, and contact with specific points on the body. The practitioner uses these elements within the NET method to explore the person’s response. Recalling an experience is part of that process; the method does not establish that a remembered event happened exactly as recalled.

NET grew out of chiropractic practice. Its developer, Dr. Scott Walker, began developing it in the 1980s. The approach later extended to practitioners from other disciplines. Its own explanation distinguishes the physical response it aims to address from counseling about the meaning of an event. These are the developer’s descriptions of the method, rather than a guarantee of what any patient will experience. NET’s explanation

At CHI, NET sits alongside other approaches in the department. The presence of several techniques does not mean a person needs all of them. Ask which part of the proposed care is NET and what the practitioner expects to learn or address by including it.

Stress can have a physical component

Stress is both a physical and emotional reaction. During a stress response, breathing and heart rate can increase and muscles can tense. Occasional stress is part of everyday life; persistent stress can affect sleep and contribute to other health concerns. This general relationship between stress and the body is well recognized. It does not, by itself, prove that NET will resolve a particular symptom. NCCIH’s explanation of stress

That distinction matters when you are comparing treatments. A familiar description of stress is not a diagnosis. A symptom can have other explanations. A physical complaint deserves attention on its own terms, even when it occurs during a stressful period.

The distinction between a trigger and a cause is useful here. A stressful situation can coincide with a physical response without accounting for every reason the symptom exists. NET’s focus on stress is one proposed way of approaching that response; it does not establish that a remembered event caused a disease or injury.

NET and other kinds of care

NET’s developers distinguish their technique from psychotherapy. A NET appointment is not a substitute for a relationship with a licensed mental health professional when counseling or mental health treatment is needed. If you already receive that care, tell the practitioner so the purpose of each service remains clear.

What researchers have studied

A trial published in 2022 studied NET in 112 people with chronic low back pain at a single clinic. Participants received NET or a control intervention twice a week for four weeks. The authors reported improvements in pain and disability measures in the NET group, along with changes in measured inflammatory markers. The study followed outcomes after the treatment period. Its results apply to that study population and design; they do not show that every pain condition responds to NET. Read the low back pain trial

A separate randomized study included 45 healthy participants and measured flexibility with a sit-and-reach test. Participants received two NET sessions, stretching instruction, or no intervention. The NET group improved more on that test. The authors called for a larger study and longer follow-up. A flexibility test in healthy people is a different outcome from recovery after injury or treatment of a medical condition. Read the flexibility study

These examples show why the outcome being measured matters. A change in a questionnaire, a blood measurement, and a movement test answer different questions. They cannot be combined into a general promise that NET addresses every stress-related concern. Research can inform a discussion without predicting the result for a person who has not been evaluated.

Choosing a starting point at CHI

The Chiropractic and Kinesiology department introduces the broader range of care at Cohn Health Institute. Applied Kinesiology has its own explanation; although muscle testing appears in the NET method, the two names do not describe the same complete service.

Dr. Howard Cohn and Dr. Dakota Freeman include NET among their treatment specialties. Their profiles introduce their backgrounds and the other approaches they use at the Institute.

Preparing for the conversation

Bring the concern you want to discuss and information about care you already receive. Ask what NET would involve in your situation and how the practitioner would assess its effect. That keeps the purpose of the visit specific.

The Get Started page provides new patient paperwork. Completing it before your appointment leaves more of your scheduled time for the practitioner. If you plan to fill it out at the office, arrive 30 minutes early. Additional paperwork time after the scheduled start is included in your appointment time.

For scheduling, contact the office. For personal questions about NET, bring your concerns to the practitioner so the discussion can focus on your situation.