Reflex testing

Hey Rj... Ok, I'm not a nurse or doc.. but from what I gather / remember... normally reflex tests are done to check for nerve reaction via your spinal cord.. checking your ankles and knees and some other places basically tests the higher regions of your spinal cord. Are you have nerve problems or back problems? When did your doc do this? Hope you are well.. Duck

Hi,

What I learned about reflexes is that they usually have to do with nerve impulse transimissions to the spinal cord.  From what I was told, an absent ankle reflex is usually associated with problems in the L5/S1 area. When you say the front part of your ankle was tested, do you mean on the top of the foot where it bends up & down? If so, it just may be a false test to see how you react to it.

I've had all those reflex tests and have a non-existant right knee reflex and barely one in the left, but my ankles seemed okay. I do have spinal stenosis in L1/L2, L2/L3, L3/L4, and L4/L5 as well as herniated and torn discs in those areas; and the knee reflex tests for abnormaltities relating to the L3 and L4 areas. I've had the same results from 2 physicians and 1 physical therapist & the PT said it's consistant with the L4 area. But abnormal reflexes can also be due to other conditions such as diabetes, thyroid problems, muscular condtions (and probably many other things - of course I'm not a doc so I'm only stating what I have learned & been told).

Did the doc say anything to you regarding that front of the ankle test?

hey Rj,
in regards to the ankle reflex...the MD puts his other hand on the tendon/ligament that he's trying to evoke a response to; now that feeling will be felt by him only and NOT a pop or "pop refelex" like a jerk motion we see all the other joints do. So this might be that one that he did.
Excessive ankle swelling can interfere with reflexes as well.
Ciao!

hi aldo, i am sry to say but for some crazy reason your post made me laugh.... and i hadnt laughed in days, so thank you. i guess it was the placebo reflex test that i had visions of your doc taking out his agression of something on your poor foot which i hope is not badly effected with arthritis. i am sry but i invisioned this cartoon like image ... birds flying around in circles......ok back to serious questions on post but it is what i thought..... sry aldo and everyone seriously answering this post.... byes

hope your ok ~*yalinda

 hehehehehehe  glad your werent upset with my vision

i felt bad that i was laughing at your expense but yet i had to tell you that it made me laugh.... it still does ~what a way to cover patient abuse.... placebo reflex testing your honor, honest! 

well hope your feeling a bit better tonight?  just watered all the flowers so they will be happy again another day..... take care   yalinda

The placebo reflex test. Too funny. But they do that you know. It's to see if you are faking it. It's the same with the pin prick test, I have had a rheumo use an opened up paper clip and a neuro use the end of a toothpick. Sometimes it's a stick and sometimes they just touch. And I never once felt anything other than light touch. I had an EMG where I did not feel the needles enter either of the muscles just below the ankle bone I anticipated that this would be the worst of the needle sticks but when I felt nothing I felt I needed to tell him. I said I didn't feel that. He was not interested at all. However when he stuck the EMG needle into my muscle at the base of the neck, both sides I thought I would jump off the table. I did not feel the needles on either side of my spine in the lumbar region. I told him that too, he was not interested. Oh EMGs and NCVs are normal.

I do however have hyperreflexive knees, for whatever that's worth. The neuro doesn't think I have any nerve related problems. He doesn't live in this body. He checked for Babinski (running something along the bottom of the foot) he only used the end of the hammer used for the refelx test and did not apply a great deal of pressure I didn't notice anything interesting but when the rheumo used his finger nail and used quite a bit of pressure my toes did point up and not down.

The specific reactions can indicate nerve entrapement or spinal column compression and the location/level of the entrapment/compression. It depends on where it is and the reaction it gets. Hyper or Hypo reflexes each indicate a problem.