BMN for Clinicians; what is it?

Back to How BMN Works | Example 1 & 2 | Example 3 | Example 4 | Example 5

Medical interest in the notation first developed in Italy in the '60s, where it was used on a research project to analyse the movements of cerebral palsy patients, but it was not until the late '70s that a group of English physiotherapists became interested in its clinical value. Since then a small nucleus of therapists based mainly in the UK, Sweden and Japan have studied and used the system in the clinical field and appreciated its potential as a clinical tool.

Clinicians can use BMN as:

• a recording tool for 'shop floor' assessment and reassessment
• a research tool, either alone or in conjunction with instrumentation methods, to record clinical findings
• a teaching tool to provide a systematic approach for the observation of movement and the conversion of the information into clinical analyses of both functional and dysfunctional movements seen in the clinical field
As a written language of movement, in the same way that musical notation is a written language of music, Benesh Movement Notation has the same international value as sheet music. It is therefore a language which enables the communication of movement regardless of differences in spoken language.

Example 1

A five year old girl with moderate cerebral palsy

Example 2



This example analyses a gait cycle.

Click each of the links below for further examples that show how BMN can be used in assessing the relative capacity of different subjects attempting the same task, a patient’s progress through sequential recordings and an example of postural analysis.

Example 3
Example 4
Example 5

How can I find out more?

By reading the published material listed below or enrolling on our distance learning course: BMN for Clinicians <click here> for details.

Alternatively contact The Benesh Institute and we will endeavour to put you in contact with someone with experience in the clinical field.


Atkinson, H. (1991) Benesh Movement Notation for Clinicians. Coventry. Coventry Polytechnic.
(Out of print. Copies held in Philip Richardson library at the Royal Academy of Dance)
McGuiness- Scott, J. (1983) Movement Study and Benesh Movement Notation: An Introduction to Applications in Dance, Medicine, Anthropology and Other Studies. London. Oxford University Press
(Available from RAD Enterprises Ltd)
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