CONTEXT Previous research indicates that osteopathic manipulative treatment based on counterstrain produces a decrease in the stretch reflex of the calf muscles in subjects with Achilles tendinitis. OBJECTIVES To study the effects of counterstrain on stretch reflex activity and clinical outcomes in subjects with plantar fasciitis. METHODS In a single-blind, randomized controlled trial of cr...

Combined V-wave and Hoffmann (H) reflex measurements were performed during maximal muscle contraction to examine the neural adaptation mechanisms induced by resistance training. The H-reflex can be used to assess the excitability of spinal alpha-motoneurons, while also reflecting transmission efficiency (i.e., presynaptic inhibition) in Ia afferent synapses. Furthermore, the V-wave reflects the...

STUDY DESIGN This was a retrospective study. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to study the relationship between prevalence of pyramidal signs and the severity of cervical myelopathy. The study is focused on patients having increased signal intensity in T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is the most common cause of spinal cord ...

Postural perturbations are usually used in rehabilitation centers to increase the stability of patients with different physical, mental or social disorders. Placing the subjects in frightening conditions is one of the most common conditional used in clinics and research studies aiming to influence the spinal reflexes of the subjects. The Hoffmann (H) reflex is also a very well-known reflex in t...

This study investigated the influence of the torque produced by plantar flexor muscles on cortical and spinal excitability during lengthening and shortening voluntary contractions. To that purpose, modulations of motor-evoked potential (MEP) and Hoffmann (H) reflex were compared in the soleus (SOL) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) during anisometric submaximal and maximal voluntary contraction (MV...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this investigation was to estimate bilateral neuromuscular activity in the vastus medialis on induction of a unilateral knee joint effusion. DESIGN Eight subjects each were assigned to effusion or control groups. The effusion group had 60 ml of sterile saline injected into their superolateral knee joint capsules. The control group rested for 8 mins. Bilateral recruitm...

In healthy children, short latency leg muscle reflexes are profoundly modulated throughout the step cycle in a functionally meaningful way and contribute to the electromyographic (EMG) pattern observed during gait. With maturation of the corticospinal tract, the reflex amplitudes are depressed via supraspinal inhibitory mechanisms. In the soleus muscle the rhythmic part of the modulation patter...

Motor imagery (MI) is the mental simulation of movement, without the corresponding muscle contraction. Whereas the activation of cortical motor areas during MI is established, the involvement of spinal structures is still under debate. We used original and complementary techniques to probe the influence of MI on spinal structures. Amplitude of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs), cervico-medullary-e...