This was another simple test Dr. Broda Barnes used with his patients to check thyroid status. He would observe the relaxation rate of the Achilles tendon reflex. He would have a person kneel on the edge of a chair and thump their Achilles tendon so that it would make their toes twitch away from their body. A person with almost any thyroid function will have the reflex, but what you need to watch is how quickly the foot relaxes back to its resting position. A hypothyroid person’s foot looks like it has a pneumatic door closer on it or there is no movement at all. A person with a normal reflex will return to resting position or even slightly past at a more rhythmic tempo.
If you understand the premise that a tired cell is an excited cell then the ability of that cell/muscle/tissue/body to relax will be more difficult.
It’s similar to when you see a 2 year old who is “over tired” but can’t calm down.
The reflex should look similar to the T wave (repolarization phase) used in an ECG. A tired cell/tissue/muscle will tend to stay in the excited/contracted phase longer and will have a harder time relaxing. This will reveal it’s self in the ability of the muscle to relax. Could this also explain cramping? Rapid heart rate? Situations of anxiety?
Would it be a stretch to think the Achilles and heart would similar?
In the videos below we see two examples of the test. Both of these examples show a desired result with the female showing a ;slightly slower reflex but returns at the same rate of speed as the contraction phase.
There can be Three Negative test results:
- The slow pneumatic door effect; in the return phase
- A choppy return.
- No movement at all.
I have found the no return can also be extremely tight calves so stretching them prior to the test is recommended.
Use this test as a tool. Use due diligence with all tests.
In other words,
Think. Perceive. Act
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