The neurophysiological basis of PNF

1. … therapeutic techniques of PNF were first used in … treatment of patients with paralysis and neuromuscular disorders. 2. Most of … principles underlying modern therapeutic exercise techniques can be attributed to … work of Sherrington, who first defined … concepts of facilitation and inhibition. 3. … impulse traveling down … corticospinal tract or … afferent impulse traveling up from peripheral receptors in … muscle causes … impulse volley, which results in … discharge of … limited number of specific motor neurons, as well as … discharge of additional surrounding (anatomically close) motor neurons in … subliminal fringe area.

4.7. Make the sentences negative.

1. An impulse causing the recruitment and discharge of additional motor neurons within the subliminal fringe is said to be facilitory. 2. Conversely, any stimulus that causes motor neurons to drop out of the discharge zone and away from the subliminal fringe is said to be inhibitory. 3. Facilitation results in increased excitability. 4. Inhibition results in decreased excitability of motor neurons. 5. Thus the function of weak muscles would be aided by facilitation, and muscle spasticity would be decreased by inhibition.

4.8. Complete the sentences with words from a box.

spinal; stretch reflex; techniques; of receptors; the frequency; muscle; motor nerve impulses; an inhibitory effect

1. The principles and … of PNF described here are based primarily on the neurophysiological mechanisms involving the … …. 2. The stretch reflex involves two types … …: (1) muscle spindles that are sensitive to a change in length, as well as the rate of change in length of the muscle fiber, and (2) Golgi tendon organs that detect changes in tension. 3. Stretching a given muscle causes an increase in … … of impulses transmitted to the spinal cord from the muscle spindle, which in turn produces an increase in the frequency of … … … returning to that same muscle, thus reflexively resisting the stretch. 4. However, the development of excessive tension within the … activates the Golgi tendon organs, whose sensory impulses are carried back to the … cord. 5. These impulses have … … … on the motor impulses returning to the muscles and thus cause that muscle to relax.

4.9. Give a talk on the text “Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Technique”.