Golgi tendon organs

Autogenic inhibition (historically known as the inverse myotatic reflex or autogenetic inhibition) shows a decrease in the excitability of a contracting or stretched muscle that in the past has been merely ascribed to the increased inhibitory input arising from Golgi tendon organs (GTOs) within the same muscle.

Altered reciprocal inhibition is the concept of muscle inhibition caused by a tight agonist, which decreases neural drive of its functional antagonist. Antagonist muscles perform the opposite action of the agonist.

This allows muscle to relax and provides better lengthening of the muscle. Static stretching can be used to decrease muscle spindle activity of a tight muscle.

Each Golgi tendon organ consists of small bundles of tendon fibers enclosed in a layered capsule with dendrites (fine branches of neurons) coiling between and around the fibers (Fig. 6.12). The organ is activated by muscular contractions or a stretch of the tendons.

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.

Reciprocal Inhibition: A technique to help relieve muscle cramps and gain flexibility

1. Poor blood circulation in your legs.
2. Working calf muscles too hard while exercising.
3. Not stretching enough.
4. Being active in hot temperatures.
5. Muscle fatigue.
6. Dehydration.
7. Magnesium and/or potassium deficiency.

transitive verb. 1 : to prohibit from doing something. 2a : to hold in check : restrain. b : to discourage from free or spontaneous activity especially through the operation of inner psychological or external social constraints.

Explain the principle of reciprocal inhibition. This principle states that “the presence of two mutually opposing forces at the same time, inhibit the weaker force.” In other words, one cannot be both relaxed and anxious at the same time.

Muscle imbalances can be due to poor posture, stress, repetitive movement, or injury. Once this occurs, the body will continue to endure movement, only now the movement occurs along the path of least resistance, otherwise known as relative flexibility (Clark, Lucett, & Sutton, 2012).

systematic desensitization

Wolpe found that systematic desensitization was successful 90% of the time when treating phobias.

Systematic desensitization is a behavioral technique whereby a person is gradually exposed to an anxiety-producing object, event, or place while being engaged in some type of relaxation at the same time in order to reduce the symptoms of anxiety. For example, a very common phobia is the fear of flying.

Systematic desensitization is highly effective where the problem is a learned anxiety of specific objects/situations, e.g. phobias (McGrath et al., 1990). However, systematic desensitization is not effective in treating serious mental disorders like depression and schizophrenia.

Exposure therapy can be an effective treatment option for a range of phobias and anxiety disorders, including PTSD, OCD, and panic disorder. People will work alongside a therapist to face their fears or anxiety triggers.

It is thought fear can be lessened by gradually desensitising the individual to the situation they are afraid of. Start by slowly exposing yourself/the person to heights, perhaps start with a first floor balcony or looking over the banisters of a stair well close to the bottom.

Exposure therapy is defined as any treatment that encourages the systematic confrontation of feared stimuli, which can be external (eg, feared objects, activities, situations) or internal (eg, feared thoughts, physical sensations). The aim of exposure therapy is to reduce the person’s fearful reaction to the stimulus.