Joaquin Farias

Joaquin Farias (born 1973) is a Spanish-born Canadian neuroscientist, researcher, and writer specializing in movement therapy for dystonia.

Early life and education
Farias was born in 1973 in Murcia, Spain. He holds master's degrees in neuropsychological rehabilitation, psychosociology, and ergonomics and a doctorate in biomechanics.

Career
At the age of 21, while training as a professional musician, Farias developed dystonia, leading to involuntary curling of his fingers and impacting his ability to play the piano. He began his research work on dystonia in 1996 following his own experience with dystonia as a young musician, which led him to create his own exercises to manage his condition.

After his recovery from dystonia, Farias developed a training program based on neuroplasticity principles. In 2018, he started the Dystonia Recovery Online Program, aiming to provide wider access to treatment methods.

Farias has also worked as a coach for musicians, as well as with Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and dancers, focusing on the recovery from focal dystonia and other practice-related disorders.

Previously, Farias served as a professor at the Music and Health Research Collaboratory of the University of Toronto. He also serves as the director at the Neuroplastic Training Institute in Toronto.

Farias is also the author of three books on dystonia: Limitless: Your Movements Can Heal Your Brain, Intertwined: A New Approach to Rehabilitating Dystonias, and Rebellion of the Body: Understanding Musicians' Focal Dystonia.

Research
Farias's work hypothesizes a link between dystonia and the insular cortex, which plays a role in controlling motion and emotion. Farias theorizes that repetitive activities might reinforce improper neural pathways, thereby exacerbating the condition.

His method, now known as Farias Technique, involves using movement-based exercises to help retrain brain functions related to motor and sensory processing. The core of his treatment approach is centered on relearning and normalizing repressed movements, through specific exercises.