Developing Movement-Assisted Therapy

Principal Investigator: Dr. Edward Caddye, MB BCh BAO, BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, PGCert Psychiatry (1st UK Medical Doctor trained in Health Optimization Medicine)

Co-Investigator: Dr. Guy W. Fincham (Founder of Breathwork Lab, Brighton and Sussex Medical School)

Collaborators: Richard Aceves (Founder of Moved Academy)

1. Overview

Scientific Rationale and Importance

Movement-assisted therapy aims to integrate structured physical exertion, breathwork, and somatic coaching into trauma-informed mental health care. Building on emerging brain-body modalities like EMDR and breathwork, our work explores how targeted physical engagement—particularly of deep postural and torque-related muscle chains—can support emotional processing and psychological regulation. Exercise is well-established as an antidepressant and anxiolytic intervention. For trauma-exposed populations, movement-based therapy may offer a powerful and accessible entry point into healing. We propose to investigate movement not just as a general wellness tool, but as a precise, measurable, and replicable intervention to improve both mood and physiological function—especially autonomic regulation and cardiovascular dynamics.

From February 2026, the PI—currently concluding a Clinical Research Fellowship at Brighton & Sussex Medical School—will ring-fence two days per week for research while completing core psychiatry training within the NHS. To support this 0.4 FTE commitment, he seeks approximately $30,000 to cover salary for dedicated research time. The programme’s aims are to build a comprehensive, data-driven emotional map of the body and to pioneer movement-assisted therapy. He is the lead author of the first papers published in the ResearchHub Journal and intends to continue publishing there, creating a coherent portfolio on movement-based interventions, including clinician-led case series.

With two ResearchHub Journal publications already in this field, we seek support to:

Conduct a comprehensive literature review on movement for mental health.
Pilot a naturalistic study at a movement-based wellbeing retreat.
Develop a Movement Lab capturing high-fidelity data (kinematic, thermal, EMG, HRV).
Explore how muscular engagement patterns impact physiological and psychometric measures of health and wellbeing.
Launch an research clinic focused on trauma-informed movement interventions.

Timeline

Months 1-2: Ethics submission, infrastructure finalised, literature synthesis.
Months 3-5: Naturalistic retreat study and Movement Lab sessions begin.
Months 6-8: Launch Open Research Clinic
Months 9-12: Preliminary analysis, write-ups, and publication (likely will occur in tandem as we gather experimental data).

Note: All preprints and articles will be published via ResearchHub, unless for the latter findings are of sufficiently high impact to warrant submission elsewhere.

2. Introduction

Theoretical Framework

The central hypothesis underpinning this work is that the human body stores and expresses emotional patterns through neuromuscular organisation—specifically through what we term torque chains. These are consistent patterns of muscular engagement that emerge under load and correlate with emotional states, behavioural tendencies, and postural adaptations to trauma. This concept is detailed in our foundational Neuromuscular Nexus paper (Caddye et. al., 2025) and expanded through a clinical case study illustrating how retraining internal torque-chain mechanics prevented a surgical intervention (Caddye et al., 2025) and precipitated delayed emotional breakthroughs. "Emotional mapping" describes the hypothesis that specific muscles or regions (e.g., hamstrings, psoas, calves) reflect chronic tension linked to unresolved emotional states. Releasing or reorganising these patterns—via breath-led, effortful movement—can induce predictable changes in mood, arousal, and even visual or emotional imagery.

Research Questions

How does movement-assisted therapy affect distress, mood, and autonomic regulation in naturalistic settings?
Can muscular engagement patterns (e.g., torque chains, calf activation) be linked to physiological outcomes such as HR/HRV and blood oxygenation?
What emotional or perceptual shifts occur during structured movement-based interventions?
Can the Open Research Clinic model provide a safe, accessible, and therapeutically beneficial pathway for individuals with trauma, including military veterans?

Impact Statement

This project has the potential to open new clinical pathways at the intersection of psychiatry, movement science, and somatic therapy. By developing an evidence base for precision movement therapy and creating infrastructure for rigorous multimodal research, this work could catalyse a new class of physical-mental interventions that are scalable, measurable, and embodied.

3. Methods

Participants/Sample

Target group: Adults aged 18-70 with lived experience of trauma; oversampling for military and high-symptom PTSD groups.
Inclusion: Ability to participate in moderate physical activity, consent capacity.
Exclusion: Uncontrolled psychiatric or cardiovascular conditions, acute musculoskeletal injury.
Recruitment: Through community networks, mental health providers, trauma charities, and social media.
Sample Targets:
- ~10 participants in naturalistic retreat study.
- ~20 participants in Open Research Clinic.
- ~30 participants in Movement Lab sessions.

Materials and Procedures

Participants will undergo breath-led strength, mobility, and functional movement sessions. Pre-post measurements may include subjective distress, mood rating, HR/HRV, blood oxygenation, and other physiological markers. All participants will be consented in line with RGEC-approved protocols.

The Movement Lab has already procured but not yet set up:

5 Raspberry Pi high-speed video cameras (for movement/pose analysis)
2 thermal imaging devices (for autonomic and stress tracking)
3 BioPac rings (for ECG, HRV, and oxygenation)
Static surface EMG
16-channel EEG system (for exploratory neural markers)
1+ VR headsets (for guided breathwork protocols)
Lab technician for setup, maintenance, and data handling

Once the lab is set up, we will develop a clinic that will operate weekly as a research-enabled therapeutic service, offering trauma-informed movement sessions to the public. Sessions will be facilitated and data will be collected to refine protocols, track outcomes, and identify physiological and psychological measures of emotional change.

Ethics and Data Management

Ethical approval will be sought through the Research and Governance Ethics Committee (RGEC) at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Protocols will prioritise participant safety, informed consent, and trauma-informed care.

4. Publications

Two published papers form the foundation of this project:

The Neuromuscular Nexus: Introducing torque chains as a paradigm-shifting framework for physical, mental, and emotional health

Successful non-surgical management of chronic hip pain in the context of Otto’s disease by targeted retraining of the internal torque chain and psoas major

5. Budget

Total requested: ~$30,000 for one year covers personnel salary (2 days/week) and minimal expenses. Any extra funds will be used to cover travel to retreat destinations and/or relevant conferences/events.

6. References

1. Caddye, E., Aceves, R., & Fincham, G.W. (2025). The Neuromuscular Nexus: Introducing torque chains as a paradigm-shifting framework for physical, mental, and emotional health. ResearchHub, 1. https://doi.org/10.55277/rhj.a7ortioa.4

2. Caddye, E., Aceves, R., Brzeszczynski, F. & Fincham, G.W. (2025). Successful non-surgical management of chronic hip pain in the context of Otto's disease by targeted retraining of the internal torque chain and psoas major. ResearchHub, 1. https://doi.org/10.55277/rhj.2dp19vec.5

Funding

Funding

Developing Movement-Assisted Therapy

Funding Progress

Nonprofit Recipient

Topics

DOI