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Related Concept Videos

Somatic Spinal Reflexes01:22

Somatic Spinal Reflexes

Somatic spinal reflexes are rapid, involuntary muscular responses to external stimuli that involve the somatic musculature and the spinal cord.
One of the most well-known somatic spinal reflexes is the stretch reflex, which is activated by the sudden stretching of a muscle. This reflex involves the activation of specialized sensory receptors called muscle spindles, which are located in the muscle tissue and detect changes in the length and speed of muscle contractions. When a muscle is suddenly...
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways

Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...

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Spinal manipulative therapy and somatosensory activation.

J G Pickar1, P S Bolton

  • 1Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport, IA, USA. pickar_j@palmer.edu

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology : Official Journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology
|February 22, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) may enhance healing by stimulating specific sensory neurons. This research explores the physical and signaling characteristics of SMT

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Manual Therapy

Background:

  • Manual therapies, including spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), have a long history of use for healing.
  • The precise mechanisms underlying SMT's therapeutic effects are not fully understood.
  • Previous theories suggested the nervous system plays a key role in mediating SMT's benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To update knowledge on the physical aspects of SMT application.
  • To review the signaling properties of sensory neurons in the vertebral column responding to spinal manipulation.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental literature on spinal manipulation.
  • Analysis of physical characteristics of applied SMT.
  • Examination of sensory neuron signaling in response to manipulation.

Main Results:

  • SMT involves applying high-velocity, low-amplitude forces to the spine.
  • Specific types of mechanosensitive paraspinal neurons are activated by SMT.
  • A high-frequency, bursting discharge pattern was observed from these neurons.

Conclusions:

  • SMT may induce lasting changes in central neuron synaptic efficacy.
  • This effect is proposed to be mediated by the high-frequency neural discharge evoked by SMT.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the neurophysiological underpinnings of SMT.