Dan W
Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2013
- Messages
- 1,528
Testing the Achilles tendon relaxation to gauge metabolism is something Peat has mentioned a lot. But I think it's faded as a diagnostic tool in the traditional medical world: this Canadian Medical Association Journal article claims that it's "likely to become obsolete as a diagnostic tool", and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommendations say it "should not be used...to diagnose hypothyroidism."
Why the difference in opinion? I think it's because the medical world now has easy access to seemingly-objective blood tests. In contrast, Peat's perspective is concerned with how tissue is actually *functioning* metabolically. Also, the ankle reflex is probably the most useful to people who will test it frequently, perceive->think->act style. Contrast that with the traditional medical approach where a fairly-inflexible diagnosis needs to be established in a visit or two, often with a patient that will be passive about the treatment.
So testing the reflex seems like something that'd be right up my alley, but I rarely bothered to check mine because it was hard to know what to look for. But I finally buckled down and read all the studies I could find, tried it on friends and family, and made a video to help explain it:
Here's a GIF if you'd just like to compare your reflex without listening to my yammerin':
If you'd like to read more studies on the phenomenon, there's some in my video references, and a big ol' list at Functional Performance Systems. Here's my favorites if you want a little less reading:
Value of Ankle-jerk Timing in the Assessment of Thyroid Function
This one describes a timing method that sounds superior to the more common "time-to-half-relaxation" used in a lot of the other studies. I think it's probably the best approach if anyone wants to try to be more accurate than the "intuitive" approach I describe in the video. And you wouldn't need fancy devices like those in the studies, you could just use a smartphone camera (preferably with slow-motion mode), and then count frame-by-frame for the timing. I'd love to hear from anyone that tries that.
A critical evaluation of the tendon reflex measurement as an index of thyroid function.
This one is nice because it takes a more objective look than some of the published cased studies that are from enthusiastic practitioners.
It's cool to see the graphs of people's relaxation rates being restored with thyroid treatment:
They conclude:
The Diagnostic Importance of the Myxœdema Reflex (Woltman's Sign)
This one is more of a fun read than anything practical. It's interesting to see the attitude of treating the patients by looking at a constellation of symptoms instead of punting to bloodwork. And I like the before-and-after treatment photo:
I'd be curious to hear how people measure up if you try it on yourself. It'd be especially cool if anyone's tried it alongside testing things to improve their metabolism, or noticed how well it correlates with body temperature and pulse.
Even without the metabolism-monitoring benefits, I've found it's been useful to have a "feel" for slow-relaxing muscles when dealing with stress and tension.
Why the difference in opinion? I think it's because the medical world now has easy access to seemingly-objective blood tests. In contrast, Peat's perspective is concerned with how tissue is actually *functioning* metabolically. Also, the ankle reflex is probably the most useful to people who will test it frequently, perceive->think->act style. Contrast that with the traditional medical approach where a fairly-inflexible diagnosis needs to be established in a visit or two, often with a patient that will be passive about the treatment.
So testing the reflex seems like something that'd be right up my alley, but I rarely bothered to check mine because it was hard to know what to look for. But I finally buckled down and read all the studies I could find, tried it on friends and family, and made a video to help explain it:
Here's a GIF if you'd just like to compare your reflex without listening to my yammerin':
If you'd like to read more studies on the phenomenon, there's some in my video references, and a big ol' list at Functional Performance Systems. Here's my favorites if you want a little less reading:
Value of Ankle-jerk Timing in the Assessment of Thyroid Function
This one describes a timing method that sounds superior to the more common "time-to-half-relaxation" used in a lot of the other studies. I think it's probably the best approach if anyone wants to try to be more accurate than the "intuitive" approach I describe in the video. And you wouldn't need fancy devices like those in the studies, you could just use a smartphone camera (preferably with slow-motion mode), and then count frame-by-frame for the timing. I'd love to hear from anyone that tries that.
A critical evaluation of the tendon reflex measurement as an index of thyroid function.
This one is nice because it takes a more objective look than some of the published cased studies that are from enthusiastic practitioners.
It's cool to see the graphs of people's relaxation rates being restored with thyroid treatment:
They conclude:
We conclude that measurement of the Achilles tendon reflex is of little value in the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis. Despite its limitations, the technique can be helpful in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism and it is especially useful in assessing the effect of treatment and in regulating the dosage of thyroid replacement therapy given to hypothyroid patients.
The Diagnostic Importance of the Myxœdema Reflex (Woltman's Sign)
This one is more of a fun read than anything practical. It's interesting to see the attitude of treating the patients by looking at a constellation of symptoms instead of punting to bloodwork. And I like the before-and-after treatment photo:
I'd be curious to hear how people measure up if you try it on yourself. It'd be especially cool if anyone's tried it alongside testing things to improve their metabolism, or noticed how well it correlates with body temperature and pulse.
Even without the metabolism-monitoring benefits, I've found it's been useful to have a "feel" for slow-relaxing muscles when dealing with stress and tension.