REFLEX CHEAT SHEET

Muscle facilitation refers to the potential of a muscle group to fire when consciously or unconsciously called upon to contract. There are multiple mechanisms and reflexes built in to our physiology which may be exploited to improve muscle facilitation.

One of the primary jobs of any trainer or therapist should be to normalise muscle facilitation.

In this free mini course i shall take you through five distinct methods, each of which may be the perfect tool in a given situation to bring a floundering muscle group back to life or to enhance muscle facilitation with a view to improving performance of the nervous system via enhanced motor output.

In the Level One AMN Practitioner Certification, we introduce students to the Cerebellum. Through a process of understanding basic, functional neuroanatomy and specific functional assessments, the student uncovers a simple philosophy which shows the output of the nervous system relative to Rate, Rhythm, Force and Accuracy of movement, is dictated by the sensory input the nervous system receives.

It is true that accuracy beats the hit and hope approach, but accuracy can only come from a reproducible assessment process. To get you started with utilising the integration of the brain and body to improve muscle facilitation i have selected five unique stimulations, each with the potential to radically enhance how your clients body functions.

The student is able to localise which side of the body and which joint is best to work with as well as which eye position, visuomotor drills and vestibular drill to maximise improved output of the nervous system,

The level Two AMN Practitioner Certification further expands on this concept. We teach a unique method of localising areas of muscle inhibition and then establish which physiological system should be calibrated to normalise the problem.

The TMJCranial Nerves Cranial Sutures Reflexive Visceral Associations Reflexive Endocrine Associations

Post Ganglionic Associations (Neuromuscular system) Conscious Proprioceptive Systems Unconscious Proprioceptive SystemsMidbrain Correlations

THIS INVOLVES LOOKING AT

These can be utilised therapeutically or as part of a training session. Enjoy!

© AMN Academy Limited. All Rights Reserved

01

THE VESTIBULE COLIC REFLEX - VCRThe vestibular system or the statokinetic system is comprised of the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear including the otolith organs and semi circular canals, the Vestibulocochlear Nerve (Cn VIII) and the Vestibulo-spinal pathways.

Unlike other senses there is no distinctly recognisable conscious sensation from the vestibular system. As it is one of the most important structures of the entire nervous system its influence is far reaching. Autonomic reflexes involving blood pressure & the parasympathetic nervous system, spatial perception interacting with vision, balance, muscle recruitment & motor coordination are all integrated with the vestibular apparatus.

Ideally in a standing position, place the heel of the palm on your clients forehead and ask them to isometrically contract in to your hand for approximately 3-5 seconds. You can also do this to yourself.

Use the anterior VCR to facilitate Flexor muscles

Alternatively, place the heel of the palm on the back of your clients head and ask them to isometrically contract in to your hand for approximately 3-5 seconds. You can also do this to yourself.

Use the Posterior VCR to facilitate Extensor muscles

Vestibular-only neurons in the Vestibular Nucleus project to the cervical spinal cord and are thought to mediate the VCR pathway.

Vestibular reflexes such as the vestibulo-collic reflex (VCR) are critical for maintaining head and body posture during our daily activities. The VCR functions to stabilise the head relative to inertial space by generating a command to move the head in the opposite direction to that of the current head-in-space velocity Baker et al. 1985; Ezure and Sasaki 1978; Goldberg and Peterson 1986; Peterson et al. 1981; Wilson et al. 1990.

The Vestibular system comprising of the otolith organs, semi circular canals & vestibular nerve

HOW TO DO IT

THE STIMULATIONS© AMN Academy Limited. All Rights Reserved

02

NEURO LYMPHATIC REFLEXESIn the 1930’s Osteopathic Physician, Dr Frank Chapman observed that patients with specific ailments of the viscera would present with distinct nodular, tender locations on the surface the body.

There were approximately 200 nodular sites observed by Chapman, which have later been termed Neuro Lymphatic Reflexes (NLR). As each point embedded within the fascia appears to relate to specific organs, they too relate to specific muscles. Muscles and organs are directly correlated via the continuity of the fascial system as elucidated by Stecco and in some instances via shared Sympathetic nerve supply.

Inhibition of the abdominal wall is common. This can be driven by a Gastrointestinal dysfunction, postural dysfunctions or any number of other considerations.

We can utilise NLR’s to facilitate specific muscle groups and potentially increase blood flow to the associated organs.

The Abdominal muscle group is associated with the small intestine. The Chapman’s reflex zone for the Abdominals is as follows:

REFLEX ZONE ASSOCIATED ORGAN MUSCLE GROUPFACILITATED

Medial thigh lower 1/3

Medial thigh upper 2/3

Small Intestines

Small Intestines

Manual Muscle test the Rectus Abdominus as a group. If the individual fails the test, rub the associated reflex zone for approximately 20-30 seconds. Retest the Rectus Abdominus group.

You can expect a marked increase in muscle facilitation.

HOW TO DO IT

Rectus Abdominus

Obliques/ TransverseAbdominus

© AMN Academy Limited. All Rights Reserved

03

VISUOMOTOR SACCADESA saccade is a fast movement of the eyes, shifting foveal vision from one location to another.

While many areas of the cortex and brainstem are involved in motion of the eyes, intentional Saccadic eye motions are initiated by the frontal eye fields which are a portion of the motor cortex within the frontal lobes of the brain.

Intentional saccades are performed with the head completely still. We provide two distinct, acute targets and instruct the client to flick the eyes between the targets at a specific rhythm. It is possible to preferentially recruit the right or left frontal eye fields and subsequently the right or left motor cortex by directing saccades in the side opposite of the desired cortex activation.

Establishing which cortex to stimulate involves further assessment which we teach as part of our ‘opening procedure’ when using muscle testing in the AMN Level One and Two Practitioner Certifications.

For the purpose of gross muscle facilitation, you can utilise horizontal saccades by providing two targets such as the thumbs held up at arms length, or via small marks on a wall.

Directed intentional saccades have the potential to facilitate all ventral horn cells of the spinal cord. The ventral horn cells of the spinal cord carry neurological impulses out to the muscles they communicate with.

When we perform a saccade the frontal eyes fields and motor cortex initiate the movement. Nerve fibres form the motor cortex travel via the corticospinal tracts to the ventral horn cells of the spinal cord. This is how a saccadic eye motion can potentially facilitate all muscles.

In the absence of accurate assessment, it is recommended that intentional horizontal saccades are used with asymptomatic clients, at a pace of 1hz (once x second), over a short distance and for a low number of reps (no more than 10 reps to begin with). The head should remain still during the saccade drill. You may notice a short term increase in strength and possible incresase in range of motion immediately after performing the drill.

Speed, the distance the eyes travel and total repetitions are all variables that can be progressed over time. Consider an increase in the distance the eyes travel during the movement akin to adding more weight to a barbell. Progress slowly.

HOW TO DO IT

© AMN Academy Limited. All Rights Reserved

04

AFFECTIVE TOUCH -

Light, affective touch is a specific stimulus which ascends the spinal cord to the Thalamus and Insular cortex. This form of touch stimulates free nerve endings known as C fibres which also transmit noxious stimulus, temperature and poorly localised or crude touch.

The body is often described as a sensory receptor driven system. While i feel this is an overly simplistic description, there is certainly a lot that can be achieved by providing specific sensory stimulus at the right time.

Light, affective touch of the skin on the right side of the body will stimulate the left Thalamus and Insular cortex

Light, affective touch of the skin on the left side of the body will stimulate the right Thalamus and Insular cortex.

LATERAL SPINOTHALAMIC TRACT

ASCENDING SPINAL TRACT(CONSCIOUS PROPRIOCEPTION) DISTINC SENSE

Anterolateral System - Spinothalamic

Medial Leminiscal Pathway/Dorsal Column

Noxious stimulusHot/ColdLight/Affective touch (Lateral spinothalamic)Crude touch(Anterior spinothalamic)

Well-localised touchPressureVibrationJoint position sense

Assessing if affective touch is required can be determined by a couple of simple methods. Firstly you could utilise the feedback of a global response manual muscle test. This is where the application of affective touch to a particular area causes a momentary inhibition or ‘weakness’ to a previously strong muscle.

Secondly, you can ask the client to close their eyes and compare the ‘quality’ of the sensation between the two sides of the body. eg affective touch to the left biceps and right biceps, ‘does this feel like this’, ‘do the two sides feel the same or different?’. Apply the stimulations one after the other a couple of times. You would then apply the sensory stimulus to the side of reduced sensation.

One of the benefits of applying affective touch to the skin can be the effect of overriding nociception or noxious signals form the body area. Try applying a soft/affective touch over the skin of old injury sites, painful sites or areas of marked muscle tension for anywhere between 30 - 120 seconds.

You can expect an increase in local muscle facilitation, range of motion and the possibility of pain reduction, if this is indeed the sensory stimulus required by the brain to normalise proprioceptive control of a particular area.

It helps a great deal if the individual focuses on the sensation whilst maintaining relaxed breathing.

HOW TO DO IT

© AMN Academy Limited. All Rights Reserved

05

VIBRATION SENSE -

Vibration sense is another form of conscious proprioception which also ascends the spinal cord and passes through the Thalamus, but this time, the sense is perceived predominantly in the post central gyrus of the somatosensory cortex.

The somatosensory cortex holds a sensory map of the right side of the body surface in the left Parietal cortex and the left and right sides of the body in the right Parietal cortex. The information which feeds and shapes these maps comes from the muscle spindles, cutaneous mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors of the body.

The receptors responsible for vibration sense include Merkel disk receptors and Meissner's corpuscles in the superficial layers of the skin and Pacinian corpuscles in deeper layers of skin, between layers of muscle, and in periosteum.

DORSAL COLUMN MEDIALLEMNISCUS PATHWAY

Assessing if vibration sense is required can be determined by a couple of simple methods. Firstly you could utilise the feedback of a global response manual muscle test. This is where the application of affective touch to a particular area causes a momentary inhibition or ‘weakness’ to a previously strong muscle.

Secondly, you can ask the client to close their eyes and compare the ‘quality’ of the sensation between the two sides of the body. eg vibration applied to the left biceps and right biceps, ‘does this feel like this’, ‘do the two sides feel the same or different?’. Apply the stimulations one after the other a couple of times. You would then apply the sensory stimulus to the side of reduced sensation.

Vibration can be applied to the body via the use of a tuning fork or simply by gently tapping on the tissue in question. When vibration is applied to a bone, a muscle, or even a ligament the neurological representation of that body tissue will activate in the brain.

This can improve proprioceptive output to that particular tissue, potentially improving local muscle facilitation, range of motion, our if it is the golden egg of sensation that the brain needs, pain could even be improved.

HOW TO DO IT

© AMN Academy Limited. All Rights Reserved

06