Supporting the Reflex Arc with Contemporary Medical Acupuncture📍⚡️🧠

Supporting the reflex arc and motor neuron excitability with Contemporary Medical Acupuncture 📍⚡️

What is the reflex arc? 

The reflex arc consists of sensory neurons which detect an external stimulus -> the interneurons in the spinal cord and/or brain where the stimulus is processed -> and the motor neurons which innervate the muscles which then produce the reflex in response to the stimulus.

Reflex arcs can be AUTONOMIC or SOMATIC ♥️💪🏿

An AUTONOMIC reflex regulates our “automatic” involuntary functions - like heart function, digestion, as well as other internal organs, smooth muscle and glands that help our body function to maintain homeostasis 

A SOMATIC reflex causes the skeletal muscle to respond quickly and involuntarily to an external stimulus - like moving your hand away from touching a hot stove 

Sometimes, the nerve relay can experience a delay or “latency” - this could be due to: 

⚡️Nerve demyelination as in the case of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

⚡️ Peripheral neuropathy as can occur in Diabetes or as a result of vitamin deficiency 

⚡️ Nerve root entrapment as a result of a herniated disc, or muscular nerve root entrapment 

⚡️Habituation - or lack thereof 

💊 Some medications can reduce synaptic transmission and increase latency. You should ALWAYS speak to your Doctor before ceasing any medications. 

🧠 Depressed Central Excitability - motor neurons in the spinal cord can be in a depressed state due to spinal shock, general fatigue or neurological inhibition, causing latency or a delayed reaction time 

How ACUPUNCTURE can help support the reflex arc? 📍

With Contemporary Medical Acupuncture, we assess your concerns prior to treatment and create a NeuroFunctional treatment plan. This includes stimulation of relevant motor points, peripheral nerves, and spinal nerve roots to provide neuromodulation to the sensorimotor pathway of the reflex arc ⚡️

Once the sensory receptors are activated at the site of needle insertion, they generate natural electrical impulses which travel through the spinal cord and to the brain -> resulting in natural pain relief through endogenous opioid release via endorphins and enkephalins, as well as neurotransmitter release.

At follow up appointments, we may add Microcurrent to the needles to support the reflex arc, relax the muscle tension, reduce pain and support nerve regeneration ⚡️

Ready to try Contemporary Medical Acupuncture? 📍⚡️🧠

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