DNS for Sports Performance and Injuries
Is DNS (dynamic neuromuscular stabilization) Good for Sports Performance and Injuries?
Brazillian Jiu Jitsu Tournament
By: Arianna Tsengouras, Chiropractic Intern
Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS)
is the approach we take at Northcenter Healthcare to help restore optimal movement patterns. This approach is based in
developmental kinesiology, how infants naturally develop movement patterns from lifting
their head to rolling, crawling, pulling themselves into a stand and eventually walking.
Additionally, if you ever had the opportunity to watch a baby breathe you’d notice that they
breathe with their stomachs which is known as diaphragmatic breathing (if you want more
information on DNS check out this post here!)
Sports, injury and performance?
If you think about it, how much time is spent sitting at a desk, in a car, on the couch etc? In fact, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics found that on average workers spend 44.9% of their day sitting in
2025. As we have transitioned to a more sedentary lifestyle we have lost touch with our
developmental movement patterns which provided us with a strong, stable foundation.
When it comes to sports and physical activity, the loss of these movement patterns matter.
Without a stable foundation to rely on, our bodies begin to compensate. These
compensations may be helpful short-term — for example, following an acute injury — but
over time they don’t provide the support they initially did which opens the door for overuse
and injury. Along with this shift in movement, most adults have transitioned from diaphragmatic
breathing into chest breathing. This is not inherently bad, but when it comes time to load
the body in a sport or exercise, chest breathing leaves us underprepared. Our favorite way
to explain this is with a simple analogy of a soda can. When it is unopened it has pressure
built within, where if we were to stand on it, it would not collapse. However, if we opened
that can, released the pressure and tried to stand on it again, it would collapse. This is
exactly how our body reacts. When we chest breathe we are like an open soda can, we can
function, but we work without the additional support our body needs. When we breathe
diaphragmatically, we build pressure in our midsection, just like that unopened soda can.
That pressure is the foundation our spine and joints rely on during physical demand.
Both compromised movement patterns and inefficient breathing open a window for injury
to occur. DNS works to address both by rebuilding the foundation that sport and everyday
activity demands.
DNS and Sports
From the tennis court to the hockey rink, from weekend trail running to yard work,
DNS principles apply universally. Take tennis for example. People who play tennis are at
increased risk of various injuries including overuse syndromes due to the high demands
and whole body nature of the sport. These athletes are at risk of injury to the shoulder,
elbow, abdomen, low back, hip, knee and ankles.
To better understand and reduce injury…
rates, researchers conducted a study of core stability (neutral low back) and movement
patterns in tennis players. This study followed 160 tennis players through a 6 week
strengthening and stabilizing program which focused on the deep stabilizing muscles of the
core which include the transversus abdominus (the muscular corset around our
midsections) and the diaphragm among others.
This should sound familiar! Strengthening the deep core muscles…
is exactly what DNS trains and directly relates to the diaphragmatic
breathing we discussed earlier. Researchers set out to assess if deep core activation improved overall movement
which in turn would help prevent injury. They found that deep core activation did have a
positive and significant impact on overall functional movement, concluding that core
stability exercises should be recommended to tennis players and incorporated in their
training.
Tennis is a whole body sport…
meaning that these principles can be applied across
all sports to improve movement and prevent injury.
But this isn’t unique to tennis. Another study assessed DNS and its impact on
maximum kayak paddling force. As kayaking also has a risk of overuse injury, researchers
analyzed the training program of kayaking to find areas of improvement. They found that
not only was there poorly structured resistance training, but also no emphasis to prevent
injury and promote overall performance.
DNS is positioned to reduce pain levels…
but also help build optimal movement patterns to prevent injury; and the results supported their theory. They concluded DNS not only reduces self-reported pain
levels but also improved paddling force and core strength specifically. Whether you’re
implementing DNS into your workout or using it as a rehabilitation tool, it has the potential
to prevent injury and lengthen athletic careers.
DNS for Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Performance
Did you know that young athletes are at a greater risk of injury during landing and
direction changes? What is even more concerning, is that most current training plans lack
neuromuscular training which leaves athletes vulnerable to imbalances and movement
patterns that increase the risk of injury. This is where DNS plays a critical role in injury
prevention and supports athletic performance. Research has shown that incorporating
neuromuscular training improves dynamic stability, fundamental movements and strength
while decreasing injury rates and resisting fatigue.
DNS addresses injury prevention across all athletic abilities
— and if injury does occur, it is equally effective as a rehabilitation tool.
When injury does occur, patients may stop activity due to fear of reinjury
or “push through the pain” which may lead to compensations. Take chronic ankle instability as an example.
Chronic ankle instability is caused by repetitive ankle sprains that cause pain, instability
and alter our movement patterns. DNS builds a strong stable foundation for our limbs to
move which allows us to focus on balance and coordination. One study even noted that
utilizing DNS in combination with balance training enhances our brain-body control,
stability and performance, specifically in cases of chronic ankle instability.
Another common injury that DNS addresses is non-specific low back pain.
This is characterized by symptoms such as limited mobility in the hips, discomfort, stiffness and
muscle tightness in the low back persisting beyond 12 weeks. Additionally, those with
chronic nonspecific low back pain also experience altered breathing mechanics and
postural patterns which can impact the spine. So how can DNS help? Research has shown
that by working on deep core activation and restoring diaphragmatic breathing symptoms
of chronic nonspecific low back pain improve. This is due to the increase in low back
stability and ability to maintain proper pressure, recall the soda can, in the abdominal
region.
Whether it be chronic ankle instability, low back pain…
or any other ailment you may be facing, DNS offers a safe and effective approach to treatment. Beyond rehabilitation, DNS not only supports recovery — it can also improve athletic performance and prevent injury.
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Sources:
1) On average, workers spent 44.9 percent of the workday sitting in 2025 : The
Economics Daily. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. February 9, 2026. Accessed March
23, 2026.
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/on-average-workers-spent-44-9-percent-of
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verage%2C%20workers%20spent%2044.9%20percent%20of%20the%20workday%2
0sitting,sitting%20than%20standing%20at%20work.
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https://doi.org/10.3390/app9183839
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