Reciprocal InhibitionEssay title: Reciprocal InhibitionRECIPROCAL INHIBITIONeciprocal inhibitionn : a method of behavior therapy based on the inhibition of oneresponse by the occurrence of another response that ismutually incompatible with it; a relaxation responsemight be conditioned to a stimulus that previously evokedanxiety [syn: reciprocal-inhibition therapy]Reciprocal InhibitionThe Lengthening Reaction: (previous subsection)What Happens When You Stretch: (beginning of section)When an agonist contracts, in order to cause the desired motion, it usually forces the antagonists to relax (see section Cooperating Muscle Groups). This phenomenon is called reciprocal inhibition because the antagonists are inhibited from contracting. This is sometimes called reciprocal innervation but that term is really a misnomer since it is the agonists which inhibit (relax) the antagonists. The antagonists do not actually innervate (cause the contraction of) the agonists.
Such inhibition of the antagonistic muscles is not necessarily required. In fact, co-contraction can occur. When you perform a sit-up, one would normally assume that the stomach muscles inhibit the contraction of the muscles in the lumbar, or lower, region of the back. In this particular instance however, the back muscles (spinal erectors) also contract. This is one reason why sit-ups are good for strengthening the back as well as the stomach.
When stretching, it is easier to stretch a muscle that is relaxed than to stretch a muscle that is contracting. By taking advantage of the situations when reciprocal inhibition does occur, you can get a more effective stretch by inducing the antagonists to relax during the stretch due to the contraction of the agonists. You also want to relax any muscles used as synergists by the muscle you are trying to stretch. For example, when you stretch your calf, you want to contract the shin muscles (the antagonists of the calf) by flexing your foot. However, the hamstrings use the calf as a synergist so you want to also relax the hamstrings by contracting the quadricep (i.e., keeping your leg straight).
Reciprocal inhibitionThis describes muscles on one side of a joint relaxing to accommodate contraction on the other side of that joint.The body handles this pretty well during activities like running, where muscles that oppose each other are engaged and disengaged sequentially to produce coordinated movement. This facilitates ease of movement and is a safeguard against injury. Sometimes, for example, a football running back can experience a “misfiring” of motor units and end up simultaneously contracting the quads and hamstrings during a hard sprint. If these muscles, which act opposite to each other are fired at the same time, at a high intensity, a tear can result. The stronger muscle, usually the quadriceps in this
A knee is the outermost portion of the arm, and the leg is the part that is most adapted to walking. It attaches to the muscle by its lateral gait, a connection that runs from toe to knee. In this position that force can go into the lower part of the muscle, which allows it to extend with muscle contraction. This is called an extension of the quadriceps tendon, which attaches to both ends of a knee. For example, the knee supports a full-body walk from toe to the floor so that the ankle is pointed in the correct direction. For some individuals, the knees extend into a short range, which allows the muscles to work as a support if the motion was not a proper step.
A muscle’s ability to relax is called tension. This is the maximum amount of tension that a muscle can produce in some manner, such as when it has to push a leg or push a handle. Because a muscle can make a point of tension, it will be less susceptible to injury and is therefore more vulnerable to the stress and pain from the stressors. Conversely, a muscle that produces tightness or compression will produce less tension, if it is properly engaged. The same is true for a hip flexor, which is not limited strictly to a leg or hip extension but can also extend up to the hip and back of the hip. Another example of strength of muscle is referred to as balance in the body and muscle spasm (aka torque). This movement can be sustained for only small amount of time, so if muscles are engaged and then pushed back by pressure or muscle contraction, the muscle gains more tension, and thus more pain (Figure 3).
If a muscle is tight, it’s because of its joint geometry. An increased tension in this part of the body (the upper limb) results in a greater tendency for the muscle to contract and to produce compression. This is what is known as “spin” because the action of the shoulder blade is directly proportional to its angle of movement. This occurs because the shoulder blade presses and twists together to form a ball during a drive (Figure 4). A greater angle of movement causes the forces to pass through the leg and into the hip, which in turn is caused further compression. In normal human action, the ball travels through the joint with equal force to the forces exerted by the body. In the case of soccer players, the ball may travel further through the joint than would have been expected under normal player play. If you watch a soccer goal against a strong center or stronger winger, you will notice that both players are performing the same move. This may be because the center and winger are not playing in a similar position within the same time frame, for example, their legs and the ball are traveling in different paths. Instead of a player having to move his body to maintain his own momentum through the game, there is a smaller (less direct)