Altered reciprocal inhibition is the concept of muscle inhibition caused by a tight agonist, which decreases neural drive of its functional antagonist. For example, the gluteus maximus (your butt) is an agonist for hip extension. Antagonist muscles perform the opposite action of the agonist. Click to see full answer.
What is reciprocal inhibition?
Reciprocal inhibition describes the process of muscles on one side of a joint relaxing to accommodate contraction on the other side of that joint. Joints are controlled by two opposing sets of muscles, extensors and flexors, which must work in synchrony for smooth movement.
What is reciprocal inhibition of the sympathetic response during aversive imaging?
When reciprocal inhibition of the sympathetic response occurs during aversive imaging, the act of imaging acquires an anxiety-inhibiting function. This happens via a mechanism known as conditioned inhibition.
What is the difference between autogenic inhibition and reciprocal inhibition?
The key difference between autogenic and reciprocal inhibition is that autogenic inhibition is the ability of a muscle to relax when it experiences a stretch or increased tension while reciprocal inhibition is the relaxation of muscles on one side of a joint to accommodate contraction on the other side of that joint. Muscles stretch and relax.
What is the difference between reciprocal inhibition and reflexive antagonism?
Reciprocal inhibition is a synonym. Muscle energy techniques that use reflexive antagonism, such as rapid de-afferentation techniques, are medical guideline techniques and protocols that make use of reflexive pathways and reciprocal inhibition as a means of switching off inflammation, pain,...
What does altered reciprocal inhibition?
Altered reciprocal inhibition is the concept of muscle inhibition caused by a tight agonist, which decreases neural drive of its functional antagonist.Nov 14, 2011
What is reciprocal inhibition example?
0:255:05Reciprocal Inhibition - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe tight muscle so in our classic hamstring example hamstrings and the myofascial chain all the wayMoreThe tight muscle so in our classic hamstring example hamstrings and the myofascial chain all the way through the lower leg into the foot. That's going to be stretched by having them stretch up their
What is reciprocal inhibition and why is it important?
Simply put, reciprocal inhibition is the process in which a muscle must relax on one side of a joint to allow for a muscle on theother side of the joint, typically the antagonist, to contract effectively. This process is important because it allows for optimal joint function moving through a full range of motion.Oct 13, 2020
What is the definition of synergistic dominance Nasm?
Define: Synergistic dominance. Occurs when synergists take over as prime movers due to weak or inhibited prime movers. Define: Arthrokinetic Dysfunction. altered forces at the join that result in abnormal muscular activity and impaired neuromuscular communication at the joint.
What is reciprocal inhibition quizlet?
Reciprocal inhibition. the process of muscles on one side of the joint relaxing to accommodate contraction of the muscle on the other side of the joint.
Is reciprocal inhibition Monosynaptic or Multisynaptic?
polysynaptic reflexReciprocal inhibition is an example of a polysynaptic reflex.Mar 23, 2021
What is reciprocal inhibition in neuroscience?
Reciprocal inhibition is the spinal process of inhibition of a motor neuron pool when the antagonist motor neuron pool is activated. 1. This can be studied by assessing the influence on an H reflex of stimulation of a nerve with afferents from muscles antagonist to the muscle where the H reflex is produced.
What is reciprocal inhibition for dummies?
Describes the neurologic process of muscles on one side of a joint relaxing to accommodate contraction on the other side of that joint. Joints are controlled by two opposing sets of muscles, extensors and flexors, which must work in synchrony for smooth movement.Aug 31, 2017
What is the difference between altered reciprocal inhibition and synergistic dominance?
Synergistic may be defined as "acting together to enhance the effect of another force." Therefore, if muscles perform the same task at a particular joint, they are termed synergistic. Altered reciprocal inhibition occurs when a muscle is activated (the agonist), when it should not be.May 14, 2013
What is overactive and underactive muscles?
Overactive and underactive muscles are usually reflections of muscle imbalances and posture. Overactive muscles are not necessarily strong or tight, but are hypertonic or have chronic increased tone. Whereas underactive muscles may not always be weak and lengthened, but are hypotonic or have chronic decreased tone.
What is active isolated stretching Nasm?
0:091:07How to do an Active Isolated Stretch - Calf - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then we will engage the quadricep engage the glute and keep the abdominals engaged and slowlyMoreAnd then we will engage the quadricep engage the glute and keep the abdominals engaged and slowly begin to lean forward to that first point of tension.
What is reciprocal inhibition?
Reciprocal inhibition is a neuromuscular reflex that inhibits opposing muscles during movement. For example, if you contract your elbow flexors (biceps) then your elbow extenors (triceps) are inhibited.
What is the role of reflex inhibition?
Reciprical inhibition is a neuromuscular reflex – An increase in neural drive of a muscle, or group of muscles, reduces the neural activity of functional antagonists. This plays a siginificant role in improving the effeciency of the human movement system, and creating ideal arthrokinematics.
Is the adductor magnus posterior head a synergist?
For example, the adductor magnus – posterior head is a functional antagonist of the gluteus medius in the frontal plane, but is a synergist during transverse plane external rotation. This is imprortant when considering ideal movement, but must be viewed in conjunction with.
Which muscle is affected by reciprocal inhibition?
Afferent fibers from the stretch receptors in the triceps project to interneurons in the spinal cord, which inhibit motor neurons of the opposing muscle (the biceps). Reciprocal inhibition is not restricted to the biceps and triceps of the human arm. It is a general phenomenon in which the stretch of one muscle inhibits the activity ...
Who discovered the principle of reciprocal inhibition?
Sherrington, along with Philippson, saw that the building blocks of gait consisted of the circuitry of the flexor and extensor reflex (Philippson, 1905; Sherrington, 1910). These authors also realized the principle of reciprocal inhibition of these networks.
How does presynaptic inhibition affect reflexes?
The gating of reflexes is made possible by a mechanism called presynaptic inhibition, whereby transmission of afferent terminals is blocked through synapses at the terminal of the afferents , for review of the cat work see Rossignol (2006 ). Of particular interest is the observation that presynaptic inhibition can be produced by the CPG since it is present during fictive locomotion in the cat ( Gosgnach, Quevedo, Fedirchuk, & McCrea, 2000; Gossard, Cabelguen, & Rossignol, 1991; Ménard, Leblond, & Gossard, 2002 ). The work on presynaptic inhibition in human gait has been summarized by Stein (1995 ). Presynaptic inhibition is assumed to underlie phase-dependent modulation of reflexes but it is also thought to be involved in the task-dependent modulation of reflexes in humans, the size of the reflexes depends on the task: seated, standing, walking, running, cycling, see Duysens, Tax, Trippel, and Dietz (1993 ), Edamura, Yang, and Stein (1991 ), Katz, Meunier, and Pierrot-Deseilligny (1988 ), Zehr et al. (2007 ). Reflexes depending on spindles and Ia afferents may be suppressed during gait because they risk disturbing the feedforward output of the CPG (for example, H-reflex amplitude is decreased during walking as compared to standing and a further reduction is seen during running as compared to walking). In contrast foot contact reflexes (depending on cutaneous afferents) may be enhanced during walking and running but are not needed during standing ( Duysens et al., 1993 ).
Can stem cells be differentiated into nonfibrotic cells?
Since adult stem cells are multipotent and can be differentiated into specialized cells such as osteoblasts, neuronal cells, adipocytes, etc., it is possible that with localized exogenous stimulation, recruited stem cells can be differentiated into nonfibrotic cells and lead to reduced fibrotic tissue responses.
Does the MCX control the H-reflex?
Taken together, these observations make it unlikely that the MCx is involved in the control of the H-reflex during the backward step cycle of untrained subjects, nor in its progressive adaptation with training. Instead, the large amplitude of the H-reflex in untrained subjects in backward walking, and its adaptation with training, may be due to control of presynaptic inhibition of Ia-afferents by other descending tracts.
Does reciprocal inhibition occur between motor neurons?
It is worth emphasizing that reciprocal inhibition does not occur between motor neurons directly. Biceps motor neurons do not inhibit triceps motor neurons, for example. If inhibition existed between motor neurons of opposing muscle groups, it would be difficult or even impossible to activate the biceps and triceps simultaneously, as in the first part of the exercise you just performed. Co-contraction of opposing muscles is widespread ( Marsden, Obeso, & Rothwell, 1983 ). It allows joints to stiffen, which is an efficient means of resisting perturbations—for example, when one prepares to catch a heavy object dropped from overhead ( Lacquaniti & Maioli, 1989 ).
What is reciprocal inhibition?
Reciprocal inhibition is the basic original notion behind indirect muscle energy techniques. While this notion is now understood to be incomplete, the clinical mechanism of reflexive antagonism continues to be useful in physical therapy.
Why is the interneuron inhibitory?
Because the interneuron is inhibitory, it prevents the opposing alpha motor neuron from firing, thereby reducing the contraction of the opposing muscle. Without this reciprocal inhibition, both groups of muscles might contract simultaneously and work against each other. If opposing muscles were to contract at the same time, a muscle tear can occur.
What is reciprocal inhibition?
Reciprocal inhibition is the spinal process of inhibition of a motor neuron pool when the antagonist motor neuron pool is activated. 1 This can be studied by assessing the influence on an H reflex of stimulation of a nerve with afferents from muscles antagonist to the muscle where the H reflex is produced. There are several normal periods of ...
What is the mechanism of conditioned inhibition?
When reciprocal inhibition of the sympathetic response occurs during aversive imaging, the act of imaging acquires an anxiety-inhibiting function. This happens via a mechanism known as conditioned inhibition. Hence systematic desensitization reduces anxiety via conditioned inhibition based on reciprocal inhibition.
What is the IA inhibitory interneurons?
Ia Inhibitory Interneurons (IaINs) Reciprocal inhibition of motoneurons is provided by IaINs , and they are active during locomotion in phase with motoneurons to the homonymous muscle from which the Ia afferents that excite them arise.151,153,154 They project to motoneurons of antagonists muscles to inhibit them.
What is the first period of inhibition?
The first period of inhibition is caused by disynaptic Ia inhibition; the second period of inhibition is probably presynaptic inhibition; and little is known about the third period of inhibition. Reciprocal inhibition is reduced in patients with dystonia, including those with generalized dystonia, writer's cramp, spasmodic torticollis, ...
Can reciprocal inhibition be abnormal?
It should be noted that reciprocal inhibition can be abnormal even in asymptomatic arms, as is the situation with blepharospasm. Reciprocal inhibition studies can be used as a sensitive method for detecting abnormality in patients with dystonia; however, the method is not specific. Reciprocal inhibition is also reduced abnormally in patients ...
Does reciprocal inhibition occur between motor neurons?
It is worth emphasizing that reciprocal inhibition does not occur between motor neurons directly. Biceps motor neurons do not inhibit triceps motor neurons, for example. If inhibition existed between motor neurons of opposing muscle groups, it would be difficult or even impossible to activate the biceps and triceps simultaneously, as in the first part of the exercise you just performed. Co-contraction of opposing muscles is widespread ( Marsden, Obeso, & Rothwell, 1983 ). It allows joints to stiffen, which is an efficient means of resisting perturbations—for example, when one prepares to catch a heavy object dropped from overhead ( Lacquaniti & Maioli, 1989 ).
Is IB inhibition divergent?
The organization of Ib inhibition has been shown to be divergent, with the effects of Ib afferent from one muscle being distributed to different muscles through subsets of interneurons for each target motor pool ( Jankowska, 1992 ).
What is the neurologic process of muscles on one side of a joint relaxing to accommodate contraction on the other side of?
Describes the neurologic process of muscles on one side of a joint relaxing to accommodate contraction on the other side of that joint. Joints are controlled by two opposing sets of muscles, extensors and flexors, which must work in synchrony for smooth movement. When a muscle spindle is stretched and the stretch reflex is activated, the opposing muscle group must be inhibited to prevent it from working against the resulting contraction of the opposite muscle. This provides for optimum joint function and longevity. Reciprocal inhibition is accomplished by the actions of an inhibitory interneuron in the spinal cord. (Wikipedia)
What is resisted tension?
Activation of an opposing muscle group with resisted tension forces the contracted muscle to relax. For example, a cramp in the posterior, lower leg can be relieved by applying resisted tension to the anterior, lower leg muscles.
What muscle is the agonist in?
In the example of when a football player gets a cramp in their calf muscle, the cramp will prevent normal ankle motion along with pain. Whenever the agonist (gastroc muscle in this case) is much stronger than the antagonist (anterior tibialis muscle in this case), the agonist can overpower and injure the antagonist.
What is the difference between reciprocal and autogenic inhibition?
The key difference between autogenic and reciprocal inhibition is that autogenic inhibition is the ability of a muscle to relax when it experiences a stretch or increased tension while reciprocal inhibition is the relaxation of muscles on one side of a joint to accommodate contraction on the other side of that joint. Muscles stretch and relax.
Does reciprocal inhibition cause reflex relaxation?
In other words, in reciprocal inhibition, increased tension of the agonist muscle causes the reflex relaxation of the antagonist or opposite muscle. Similar to autogenic inhibition, reciprocal inhibition also protects muscle from injuries.

Overview
Reciprocal inhibition describes the relaxation of muscles on one side of a joint to accommodate contraction on the other side. In some allied health disciplines, this is known as reflexive antagonism. The central nervous system sends a message to the agonist muscle to contract. The tension in the antagonist muscle is activated by impulses from motor neurons, causing it to relax.
Mechanics
Joints are controlled by two opposing sets of muscles called extensors and flexors, that work in synchrony for smooth movement. When a muscle spindle is stretched, the stretch reflex is activated, and the opposing muscle group must be inhibited to prevent it from working against the contraction of the homonymous muscle. This inhibition is accomplished by the actions of an inhibitor interneuron in the spinal cord.
Duration
The phenomenon is fleeting, incomplete, and weak. For example, when the triceps brachii is stimulated, the biceps is reflexively inhibited. The incompleteness of the effect is related to postural and functional tone. Also, some reflexes in vivo are polysynaptic, with entire muscle groups responding to noxious stimuli.
Application in physical therapy
Reciprocal inhibition is the basic original notion behind indirect muscle energy techniques. While this notion is now understood to be incomplete, the clinical mechanism of reflexive antagonism continues to be useful in physical therapy.
Muscle energy techniques that use reflexive antagonism, such as rapid deafferentation techniques, are medical guideline techniques and protocols that make use of reflexive pathways …
Further reading
• 1. Fryer G 2000 Muscle Energy Concepts –A Need for a Change. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. 3(2): 54 – 59
• Fryer G 2006 MET: Efficacy & Research IN: Chaitow L (Ed) Muscle Energy Techniques (3rd edition) Elsevier, Edinburgh
• Ruddy T 1961 Osteopathic rhythmic resistive duction therapy. Yearbook of Academy of Applied Osteopathy 1961, Indianapolis, p 58
Bibliography
• Crone, C (1993). "Reciprocal inhibition in man". Dan Med Bull. 40 (5): 571–81. PMID 8299401.
• Neuroscience Online, Chapter 2: Spinal Reflexes and Descending Motor Pathways. James Knierim, Ph.D., Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University http://nba.uth.tmc.edu/neuroscience/s3/chapter02.html