Activities on Testing Your Reflexes

A reflex is an involuntary response of your body to environmental stimuli. It protects your body from things that can harm it, and includes actions such as blinking when something is flying towards the eyes, or removing the hand upon touching a hot stove. Appropriate reflexes indicate a healthy brain, spinal cord and nervous system. The presence and strength of many reflexes in your body can be tested using simple physical tests known as reflex tests. Your doctor may perform them as part of routine neurological examination. You can also perform some of these tests at home.

Deep Tendon Reflexes

• Deep tendon reflexes test the functioning of the spinal cord in the lower back region. Also known as muscle stretch reflex, these reflexes cause contraction of muscles in response to some stimuli. To test these reflexes, ask the person to be tested to sit comfortably. Then, use a reflex hammer or a rubber mallet to strike certain points on the examinee’s body including ankle, knee, abdomen, forearm, biceps, triceps and patellar, and observe the response. It may be difficult to elicit these reflexes if the person is paying too much attention to the test, so ask your examinee to perform some activity like clenching the teeth for distraction. Response to reflexes also depends on the strength with which you use the hammer. Seek your doctor’s help if you suspect any neurological problems. Do not use these home tests for diagnosis.

Superficial Reflexes

• Superficial reflexes such as the abdominal reflex and the normal plantar response are tested to evaluate motor responses to scrapings of skin. You can test the abdominal reflexes by scraping the skin tangential to the naval area. The response will lead to the contraction of abdominal muscles. This test is usually performed after a surgery to determine the impact of the operation on abdominal muscles. The plantar response can be demonstrated by the flexion of the toe that occurs when the sole of the skin is scratched along the side of the foot from the heel to the ball and base of the great toe.

Pathological Reflex

• The Babinski response is the most common pathological response. It is common in babies under the age of 6 months and is characterized by extension of the great toe and fanning of the other toes when scratched along the side of the foot from the heel to the ball. The presence of this reflex in older children and adults indicates injury to the brain and spinal cord. As with other reflexes, do not use this at home for diagnosis. Contact your doctor immediately if you suspect nerve injury.

Startle Reflex

• This reflex is also seen in babies less than 4 months of age and fades as the baby’s brain matures. Young babies throw back their head, arch their back, extend their arms and legs, and curl up their thumb and index finger together in response to loud noise or when they get a feeling of falling. They may also cry and jerk their limbs at this point. Avoid trying this reflex test at home, as improper technique may cause injuries to a baby. The reflex test is performed by placing the baby on a soft mat, and lifting the infant's head and shoulders a couple of inches from the mat while holding the baby's arms flexed next to her body. Letting go of the baby will let the baby's head and shoulders suddenly fall onto the soft mat. A healthy baby will show the appropriate reflex.