4/7/2016 Reflex 

Integrity — Guide to Phys. Therapist Prac.

Reတex Integrity

Reတex integrity is the soundness of the neural path involved in a reတex. A reတex is a stereotypic, involuntary
reaction to sensory stimuli.

The physical therapist uses tests and measures to determine the excitability of the nervous system and the
integrity of the neuromuscular system.

Examples of Clinical Indications:

Risk factors for impaired reတex integrity

Habitual suboptimal posture

Risk of falling

Trauma

Health, wellness, and တtness needs

Fitness, including physical performance (eg, inability to jump or hop, inadequate knowledge of
proper stretch techniques)

Health and wellness (eg, inadequate knowledge of relaxation)

Pathology or health condition

Cardiovascular (eg, cerebral vascular accident)

Neuromuscular (eg, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS], cerebral palsy [CP], coma, prematurity,
traumatic brain injury [TBI])

Pulmonary (eg, anoxia)

Multisystem (eg, Guillain-Barré syndrome [GBS])

Impairments of body functions and structures

Balance (eg, instability standing or walking)

Muscle performance (eg, muscle weakness, abnormal muscle tone)

Motor function (eg, delayed gross motor skills)

Posture (eg, asymmetrical alignment)

Reတex integrity (eg, abnormal muscle tone, clonus)

Activity limitations and participation restrictions

Self-care (eg, di†culty eating due to jaw pain with chewing)

Domestic life (eg, inability to take out trash cans due to poor coordination)

Work life (eg, inability to restock shelves due to poor coordination)

Community, social, or civic life (eg, inability to hike with friends due to poor coordination and
weakness)

Examples of What Tests and Measures May Characterize or Quantify:

Deep reတexes (eg, myotatic reတex scale, observations, reတex tests) Speciတc Tests and Measures in
PTNow

Electrophysiological integrity (eg, nerve conduction studies; needle, တne wire, or surface
electromyography) Speciတc Tests and Measures in PTNow

Postural reတexes and reactions, including righting, equilibrium, and protective reactions (eg,
observations, postural challenge tests, reတex proတles, videographic assessments) Speciတc Tests
and Measures in PTNow

Primitive reတexes and reactions, including developmental levels (eg, reတex proတles, screening
tests) Speciတc Tests and Measures in PTNow

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4/7/2016 Reflex Integrity — Guide to Phys. Therapist Prac.
Resistance to passive stretch (eg, tone scales) Speciတc Tests and Measures in PTNow

Superတcial reတexes and reactions (eg, observations, provocation tests) Speciတc Tests and
Measures in PTNow

Examples of Data-Gathering Tools:

Cameras and photographs

Myotatic reတex scales

Observations

Rating scales

Reတex proတles

Screens

Video cameras and video recordings

Examples of Data Used in Documentation:

Age-appropriate reတexes

Deep tendon reတexes

Electrophysiological responses to stimulation

Postural reတexes and righting reactions

Superတcial reတexes

Last updated August 1, 2014.

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