Foot Reflexes and Core Tendon Guard
- Plantar Flexion and Medial Toe
Closure: The Core
Tendon Guard (CTG) reflex involves the body’s natural response to fear
or stress, where the toes curl inward or medially close.
This flexion of the toes, particularly the big toe (hallux), can be
seen as part of a defensive posture, mirroring the emotional withdrawal
that occurs in fear-based responses. This movement ties closely to
the Liver sinew channel (Jue Yin), which governs flexion and
rotation.
- Medial toe movement is also connected to primitive
reflexes such as the Babinski Reflex and the Plantar Reflex,
where stimulation of the foot causes toes to curl inward or the big
toe to flex downward, demonstrating defensive engagement in
the foot muscles.
- Jue Yin could represent this inward
movement, emphasizing the contraction of tendons and muscles
as part of the protective postural mechanism. In a state of retained
plantar flexion, this contraction would not release, keeping the body
in a defensive state.
Spleen 1 vs.
Kidney 1 as Postural Stabilizers
- Traditionally, Kidney 1 is
often regarded as the most Yin point, important for grounding
and stabilizing the body, but as you suggest, Spleen 1 may play a
much more active role in postural integrity and stability.
- Spleen 1 represents Parasympathetic
Nervous System (PANS) support, being associated with the earth
element and nourishment, whereas Kidney 1 is more
associated with fear regulation and balancing water metabolism.
If a patient is in a fear-based sympathetic state, Kidney 1
could be overwhelmed by defensive reflexes. Spleen 1, on the other
hand, ties to postural support and readiness to receive
nourishment. This dynamic may make Spleen 1 crucial for
restoring a calm parasympathetic balance when addressing postural
imbalances.
- If the big toe is medially
flexed, this shows that Jue Yin (Liver) and Shao Yin
(Kidney) sinew channels are in a defensive contraction mode.
To reopen these pathways, treatment focusing on Spleen 1 might
help stabilize posture, while Liver 1 could be used to release
the defensive reflex keeping the big toe closed.
Big Toe and
Primitive Defense Mechanism
- In the context of primitive
defense, a closed or flexed big toe would reflect primitive
protective reflexes that are still engaged. The foot-bed
relationship between Spleen 1 (postural reception) and Liver
1 (release of defensive contraction) could balance the primal fear
responses. Liver 1 may release the contracted big toe as
part of the defensive posture, while Spleen 1 stabilizes the
parasympathetic component of posture, making it open to nourishment
rather than fight, flight, or freeze.
Summary for
Slide Consideration:
- Sinew Channel Correlates in Foot
Reflexes:
- Core Tendon Guard (CTG) involves plantar flexion
and medial closure of the big toe.
- Liver-Jue Yin sinew channel reflects defensive
inward contraction of the big toe in stress states, involving
primitive reflexes such as the Plantar Reflex and Babinski
Reflex.
- Spleen 1 plays a significant role in postural
stability, balancing fear-based defenses. In contrast to Kidney
1, which represents Yin grounding, Spleen 1 allows the
body to remain open to nourishment and parasympathetic
stability.
- Treatment Approach: Using Spleen 1 as a
stabilizer for postural integrity and Liver 1 to release defensive
contractions in the big toe reflects a new understanding of the yin
foot-bed relationship.
__________________________________
Muscle
Groups:
- Liver (Jue Yin): Reflects rotational and flexion-based
muscles, especially those involved in the inward contraction and
rotation of the legs, such as the psoas, adductors, and diaphragm.
It is responsible for emotional contraction during fear-based
responses, reflecting the body’s natural defense mechanism.
- Example: Flexion postures
and pulling inward, bringing the legs together like fetal positioning,
reflecting a closed defensive posture.
- Kidney (Shao Yin): More focused on core
stabilization and deep internal stability. Muscles include the pelvic
floor, diaphragm attachments, and deep spinal stabilizers,
offering long-term grounding during postural challenges and fear
regulation.
- Example: The Kidney sinew
channel stabilizes the spine and core muscles, maintaining long-term
balance and postural support.
Foot Reflexes and Core Tendon Guard:
- Medial Toe Flexion: The big toe closing medially
in a flexion posture is part of the primitive defense mechanism
that engages during fear-based reflexes like the Core Tendon
Guard (CTG) and Startle Reflex. This is mediated through the Liver
sinew channel (Jue Yin), where the foot muscles pull inward
defensively.
- Foot-bed Connection: The balance between Kidney 1
and Spleen 1 is significant. While Kidney 1 is
traditionally considered grounding, Spleen 1 represents a PANS-supported
system that opens the body to nourishment and parasympathetic
stability, especially when releasing from fight, flight, or freeze
states.
- Primitive Defense: If the big toe remains
closed, it reflects a defensive reflex and postural instability. Spleen
1 restores balance by stabilizing posture, while Liver 1
releases the contraction of the big toe, bringing the body out of
defensive reflex.
Primitive
Reflexes Involved:
- Liver-Jue Yin: Associated with flexion-based
primitive reflexes, such as:
- Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR): Causes inward contraction and
withdrawal.
- Startle Reflex: Engages a sudden medial toe
contraction, reflecting a protective posture.
- Plantar Reflex and Babinski Reflex: Both
reflexes impact the foot's defense mechanism, especially when the
big toe curls inward, showing the body's natural withdrawal reflex.
- Kidney-Shao Yin: Tied to postural stabilization
through:
- Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR): Regulates core alignment
and helps stabilize the body in space.
- Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex
(STNR): Engages
core muscles that align posture, especially when transitioning from
crawling to standing.
Emotional
Pathway:
- Liver-Jue Yin: Emotionally linked to fear-based
contraction. When the Liver sinew channel is tight, it reflects
an emotional withdrawal, showing that the body is stuck in a fear-based
defense state. Treating the Liver sinew channel helps release
this emotional contraction, allowing for emotional flexibility and
adaptation.
- Kidney-Shao Yin: Provides emotional grounding.
The Kidney sinew channel stabilizes core emotional responses,
helping the body remain grounded during fear responses.
Releasing tension in this channel enables the individual to shift from fear-driven
survival responses to a more stable, emotionally calm state.
Sympathetic
Dominance and Reflex Integration:
- Primitive Reflex Retention in the Liver and Kidney sinew
channels leads to chronic emotional contraction and postural
misalignment. This retention reflects in the big toe’s medial
contraction, showing an inability to release from a fear-based
posture.
- Treatment of the Sinew Channels: By releasing the tension in
the Liver and Kidney sinew channels, the body can integrate
primitive reflexes and shift out of sympathetic dominance. This
restores both postural integrity and emotional regulation.
Summary:
- Liver (Jue Yin) reflects the body’s defensive
contraction, especially in flexion-based reflexes.
- Kidney (Shao Yin) stabilizes core emotional and
postural responses, grounding the body during times of fear or stress.
- Primitive Reflexes, including FPR, Startle,
and TLR, influence how the Liver and Kidney sinew channels
maintain defensive postures.
- Foot Reflexes, especially Core Tendon Guard
and Plantar Reflex, show how postural defense mechanisms
manifest through medial toe closure.
- Spleen 1 represents a PANS-supported
system, restoring postural integrity and helping the body shift
out of defensive reflexes, while Liver 1 releases the contraction
of the big toe, enabling emotional and physical flexibility.
Summary of
Systems Under PR and Cranial Nerve Influence:
- Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): The PRs and cranial nerves
influence the balance between the Sympathetic (SANS) and Parasympathetic
Nervous Systems (PANS). This balance is foundational for the
regulation of stress, emotional resilience, and the body's defense
mechanisms.
- Developing Fascia: The fascia develops in response
to motor function and PR engagement, providing structural support and
influencing posture. It plays a critical role in movement coordination,
flexibility, and stability through the sinew channels.
- Motor Function and Coordination: The integration of PRs builds smooth
motor control through reflex pathways, developing volitional movement,
rotational mechanics, and coordination in tandem with the vestibular
system.
- Limbic System: The emotional reflexes, shaped by
PR integration and ANS tone, help establish emotional stability, social
behavior, and limbic processing, which are integral to emotional
regulation and response to external stimuli.
- Enteric Nervous System (ENS): PRs and the ANS also govern the Enteric
Nervous System, linking digestive processes with the broader autonomic
regulation. The ENS is vital for maintaining gut health and is
connected to stress response via the vagus nerve.
- Immune System: The immune system is
closely tied to ANS balance, with Type B immunity and thymus
function developing through parasympathetic support. Chronic stress can
lead to immune suppression and decreased thymus activity, impacting
long-term immune function.
- Endocrine System: The endocrine system, especially
the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, is modulated by ANS
regulation. Hormonal balance is essential for growth, stress response, and
the transition into puberty and adulthood, where reflexes continue to
shape physical and emotional health.
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