Reflex Point Therapy: Synchronizers for Healthy Function

Connecticut School for Integrative Manual Therapy

2008

Kimberly Burnham, PhD

What are Reflex Points for Self-Care?www.KimberlyBurnhamPhD.com

• Reflex points are places that through the nervous system affect usually in a positive way another area which may be near or far away from the reflex point.

• Self Treatment:

– Contact area of dysfunction and the reflex point or synchronizer. Connect the two areas for 15 minutes or more. Focus on the tissue and improved function.

What are Synchronizer Points for Self-Care?www.KimberlyBurnhamPhD.com

• See the Synchronizer Pages for specific conditions

• Nervous System Reflex Level– Spinal Cord – Synchronizer

• Correlations–Musculoskeletal – Synchronizer

• Self Treatment:–Contact area of dysfunction and the reflex

point or synchronizer. Connect the two areas for 15 minutes or more. Focus on the tissue and improved function.

Increasing Blood Flow Reflexivelyhealthandlight.com/fir_tech2.htm

• Increases blood flow• Heating one area of the body produces reflex-

modulated vasodilators in distant-body areas, even in the absence of a change in core body temperature. Heat one extremity and the contralateral extremity also dilates; heat a forearm and both lower extremities dilate; heat the front of the trunk and the hand dilates. Heating muscles produces an increased blood flow level similar to that seen during exercise. Temperature elevation also produces an increased blood flow and dilation directly in capillaries, arterioles, and venules, probably through direct action on their smooth muscles. The release of bradykinin, released as a consequence of sweat-gland activity, also produces increased blood flow and vasodilatation. Whole-body hyperthermia, with a consequent core temperature elevation, further induces vasodilatation via a hypothalamic-induced decrease in sympathetic tone on the arteriovenous anastomoses. Axonal reflexes that change vasomotor balance also produce vasodilatation.

Reflex Points of the Colonwww.bestcare-uk.com/colon_reflex_points.htm

Colon Reflex Pointshttp://www.hps-online.com/images/colon_old.jpg

Iridology and the Colonwww.webnat.com/Irid/DigestiveColon13.asp

Reflexologyhttp://www.omnimassage.com/Foot%20Fantasy/FF%20index.htm

Foot Reflexologyhttp://cgi.ebay.ie/NEW-Reflexology-Feet-Training-Models-Show-Reflex-Point_W0QQitemZ5646252952QQcategoryZ112564QQcmdZViewItem

Reflexologyhttp://www.reflexologyinstitute.com/career_starterkit.php

Music and Astrologyhttp://rosicruciannews.tripod.com/9news98.htm

• The world of music and healing:• For general health and treatment of ailments we can play at least one hour to 4-5 hours a day

classical music in the keys that correspond to the ascending sign of the zodiac or to the organ or part we want to heal or stimulate (minor scales are related to the major ones and should be used in this sense). The corresponding signs of the zodiac and body parts are:

• Aries head, cerebral hemispheres, various organs within the head, the eyes• Taurus neck, throat, lower jaw, occipital region, cerebellum, the ears• Gemini arms, hands, shoulders, lungs, the thymus gland, upper rips• Cancer oesophagus, stomach, diaphragm, pancreas, mammae, upper lobes of liver• Leo heart, dorsal region of the spine, spinal cord, aorta• Virgo abdominal region, large and small intestines, the lower lobes of the liver, the spleen• Libra kidneys, the supraarenals, lumbar region of the spine, the vasomotor system, skin• Scorpio bladder, urethra, genital organs, rectum, descending colon, prostata gland, nose• Sagittarius hips, thighs, femur ilium, coccigeal and sacral regions of the spine, the iliac arteries

and veins, sciatic nerves• Capricorn skin, knees• Aquarius the ankles, the limbs from the knees to the ankles• Pisces feet, toes

Music and Astrologyhttp://rosicruciannews.tripod.com/9news98.htm

Koryo Hand Acupuncturehttp://www.hyundai.co.in/orinetal_medicine1.asp

Koryo Hand Acupuncturehttp://www.hyundai.co.in/orinetal_medicine1.asp

Acupuncturehttp://www.general-anaesthesia.com/images/acupuncture.html

Chapman's Neurolymphatic Reflex Charthttp://www.sportstouch.com/ChapmansReflexes.htm

Neurovascular Reflex www.icakusa.com/akbasic/aklogo.html

• In the early 1930s Terrance J. Bennett, a chiropractor described as a "...clinician through and through; whether he had to sit up all night with a sick patient or go with a patient to a surgeon was a small matter as long as something was learned," developed the Bennett reflexes. These reflex points, located about the head and front of the trunk, were postulated to affect the circulation of the blood vascular system of various organs and glands to improve many types of conditions. In 1966 Goodheart correlated Bennett’s reflexes with the muscle weaknesses found in applied kinesiology. Stimulation of certain active reflexes strengthened specific muscles. Reflexes that Bennett associated with specific organs and glands correlated with the muscle-organ association that was developing in applied kinesiology.

• The neurologic influence on blood circulation affected by Bennett's reflexes appears to develop early in the embryo and unfolds with the skin during growth, to finally be present in the fully developed human. For the first three or four months the fetus has no heart, and the mother's placental circulation is augmented by a network of fetal vascular circuits. As the tissues grow, the circuits exert slight traction on the blood vessels, causing the vessel's muscles to pulsate in an augmented fashion that aids the mother's placental circulation. At about the fourth month the heart is formed and takes over part of the burden of supplying circulation to the growing fetus. The vestigial neurovascular circuits that develop in the fetus remain to be called upon for circulation control in later life.

• The neurovascular circuits are located in the skin, and the examiner activates them with a slight tissue tug. If the reflex responds, a light pulsation is felt that is not synchronous with the heart beat. The direction of tug is changed if there is poor or no response until the optimal pulsation is felt. The light, tugging touch is maintained for 20-30 seconds to activate the reflex. The weak muscle that identified the need for neurovascular treatment is then tested to determine if it has returned to normal strength.

• One can compare the neurovascular receptor with a thermostat. If the thermostat is set too low, the muscle doesn't get its proper blood circulation, and the muscle's lactic acid and other products of muscle contraction are not flushed or washed out. The muscle therefore becomes dysfunctional from its own waste products, resulting in weakness.

• Dr. Bennett wrote and lectured actively during the 1930s and '40s on the Bennett reflexes. When he retired and at his death, Dr. Floyd Slocum, one of the early pioneers in the American Chiropractic Association, took over from Dr. Bennett. Some of Dr. Bennett’s lectures and other work have been published by Ralph J. Martin, D.C. The Council on Diagnosis and Internal Disorders of the American Chiropractic Association has also furthered Bennett’s work.

Nutritional Energy Reflex Pointshttp://www.lexicon.net/equilibrium/eqcharts.html

• From Applied Physiology this chart contains all the reflex or circuit locating points for nutritional deficiencies and excesses. Includes vitamins, minerals, proteins, digestive enzymes, toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Also includes the latest research e.g. choline, B6, Cadmium, Mercury etc. Double Sided Chart: One side has a diagram in colour of all the reflex points on the body with corresponding names. Colour coded for ease of use. The reverse side lists all the vitamins, minerals etc., with geographic descriptions of where the points are located.

Kinesiology Command Pointshttp://www.lexicon.net/equilibrium/eqcharts.html

• New laminated wall chart from the International College of Professional Kinesiology practice. On each of the 12 bilateral meridians are five 'points of command' between meridians and named after the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water points. These are the 60 command points. This chart also includes Luo points, Accumulation points, Horary points and Source points which have a special relationship with the organ or function associated with the meridian. They are very responsive to stimulation.

Homunculus

Knee Jerk Reflexwww.ithaca.edu/faculty/asmith/knjk.html

• The advantage of a spinal reflex is that it is fast. Nerve impulses only have to go through two neurons, so the pathway is short and there is only one spot where an impulse has to jump over to another neuron. Since crossing from one neuron to the next is relatively slow, having only one such crossing is a pretty good arrangement. By contrast, if you were to consciously decide to move your leg in response to a stimulus, the nerve impulse would have to travel to the spinal cord, jump to another neuron to travel up the spinal cord, then zip around through a bunch of neurons in your brain as you recognize what is happening and decide what to do, then it has to go back down the spinal cord and out a motor neuron. By the time the impulses have traveled this route, it's probably too late to respond.

• So what is the point of a knee-jerk reflex? The point of the reflex is that if a sudden weight dropped on you (Figure 2), the buckling of your knees would stretch your thigh muscles, automatically causing the muscles to contract harder via the spinal reflex. Thus, whenever the muscle is suddenly loaded, it reflexively contracts to support that load, so you don't collapse. This is quite useful for walking. Every time you put weight on your foot, your muscles contract to support you. Without spinal reflexes, people would look silly staggering around campus, having to consciously think about working their muscles for each step, but with the muscles reacting too hopelessly late to be useful. Chewing gum at the same time would be out of the question.

Energetic Phenomenon - Reflex Pointswww.CenterIMT.com

• Symbol

• Nervous System Reflex Level

– Spinal Cord - Synchronizer

– Hypothalamus – Subcortical

– Cortical – Reference Point

• Correlations

– Musculoskeletal - Synchronizer

– Physiology - HRM

– Energetics / Meridians – Reference Point

• Dowsing

What are Synchronizer Points for Self-Care?www.KimberlyBurnhamPhD.com

• See the Synchronizer Pages for specific conditions

• Nervous System Reflex Level– Spinal Cord – Synchronizer

• Correlations–Musculoskeletal – Synchronizer

• Self Treatment:–Contact area of dysfunction and the reflex

point or synchronizer. Connect the two areas for 15 minutes or more. Focus on the tissue and improved function.