The myotatic reflex involves a reaction of reflexes, and there is no need for additional work of the central nervous system. Most of the problems in the body are due to problems with this reflex. This is so because the myotatic reflex in physiology is responsible not only for protecting the body from damage, but also for the timeliness of our body movements, and for maintaining balance.
How to understand that a reflex is present?
It is very important to know whether this reflex is present in the muscle. To determine this, as a rule, use a kinesiology test. In order to conduct it, the presence of two people is important, otherwise it will be difficult to do a test.
From the very beginning, you need to understand what kind of muscle is tested, and also what functions it performs in ordinary life. It is necessary to follow the movement of this particular muscle. Myotatic reflex will be noticeable if you do not pay attention to the work of other muscles. Next, the muscles are checked with the help of an additional load and watch how she behaves. At this point, the main thing is not strength, but the ability of the muscles to rebuild. To see this, you need to strain the muscle in an isometric way, that is, there must be an obstacle that you can rest against with all the pressure. As this load increases, you can easily see if there is a myotatic reflex or not. If the muscles withstand and react normally, then it is present, otherwise it is not. As a rule, the role of the obstacle is played by the person who conducts the test. It is for this reason that one person is not enough.
How is it manifested?
The reflex arc of the myotatic reflex manifests itself in the role of a path for impulses created in the process of muscle contraction. The reflex shows itself in two forms - the muscle stretch reflex occurs due to the fact that the primary ends of the spindles are activated, and the reflex itself is triggered depending on the primary and secondary endings.
The main value in the myotatic reflex is played by non-free nerve endings in the muscle spindle. In general, in the muscles there are a lot of such endings. The spindle contains special stretching receptors that, when activated, emit stronger impulses, eventually reaching the spinal cord.
Then a similar impulse leaves it, which passes back to the stretching receptors along arcs. The myotatic reflex also makes the muscles contract.
Golgi receptors during the process of stretching or some kind of tension send impulses to the spinal cord, and then the reaction proceeds in the opposite direction along the same arcs.
Spinal cord
Reflexes that occur in the spinal cord are motor and autonomic. Motor reflexes, in turn, are divided into tendon, actually myotatic and skin. Myotatic reflexes of the spinal cord appear when a person’s muscles are mechanically exposed. When they are at least a little stretched, then all the receptors responsible for this reflex are activated. This is due to the fact that the spinal cord responds to actions and sends signals to the muscles, which makes them change, that is, contract.
There are also other reflexes, the presence of which can be determined in the clinic, having a special education and experience. There are knee, Achilles, elbow and many other reflexes that can also be checked in a specialized institution. Skin reflexes differ from myotatic ones, which are characterized by the fact that the skin is subject to mechanical stress, but the reaction occurs in the form of movements. Due to overloads between the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata, spinal shock and subsequent decreased muscle tone may occur.
Reverse reflex
When the tendon organs are in an excited state, a reverse reaction appears, which is the opposite of stretching. The important thing is that this reaction does not exacerbate the situation, it helps the process. This action is called the inverse myotatic reflex. The role of the so-called sensors are stretching receptors, they also respond to any external influence.
Violation of muscle tone and lack of reflex
Muscle tone is a normal process that involves the spontaneous activation of all muscles, and the reaction proceeds without the participation of brain activity, it occurs on its own. This is the norm of functioning of all reflexes of the human body.
The main role of the tonic skeletal muscle is to provide support for the muscles, which are therefore always ready for activation, that is, for tension. Also, tone affects such an important point as maintaining any chosen body position. The tone does not create gravity, even when a person is in a sitting or other position.
It is important that various disturbances in muscle tone occur, and, consequently, in the myotatic reflex, are not the same. This process is strictly individual. It is necessary that the tone be average, since too low affects the performance and activity, a person can not withstand even weak physical and mental stress. With a strong, excessive tone, it is almost impossible to concentrate on work, a person is in constant tension and can not affect this process.
Reasons for violation
Various diseases or physical injuries can very much affect the tone. If you interrupt the transmission of impulses to the spinal cord and vice versa, then atony appears. A decrease in motor activity due to the disease can very quickly increase tone or reduce it. The mental state of a person can also seriously affect. Increased nervousness directly affects the tone, so it can increase imperceptibly, which will not affect a person in the best way. It is important to always control your mental and physical condition.
Types of Violations
Violation of the tone is of two types - hypotonic and hypertonic. Hypotension is expressed by a sharp decrease in tone, which does not correspond to the norm. This process often happens with damage to the spinal-muscular level. Hypotension occurs with paralysis of many varieties.
Hypertension is, on the contrary, an excessive increase in tone, which, as a rule, occurs due to disorders in the central nervous system. Spasticity and rigidity are two possible options for hypertension.
Spasticity is expressed in the fact that bonds between special motor neurons and Betz cells are broken, due to which too much physical stress occurs. Symptoms of a folding knife appear.
Rigidity is noticed when diseases appear that affect the basal ganglia or their relationship with the midbrain. Symptoms of the gear appear.