Reflex control of the spine and posture: a review of the literature from a chiropractic perspective

Abstract

Objective: This review details the anatomy and interactions of the postural and somatosensory reflexes. We attempt to identify the important role the nervous system plays in maintaining reflex control of the spine and posture. We also review, illustrate, and discuss how the human vertebral column develops, functions, and adapts to Earth's gravity in an upright position. We identify functional characteristics of the postural reflexes by reporting previous observations of subjects during periods of microgravity or weightlessness.Background: Historically, chiropractic has centered around the concept that the nervous system controls and regulates all other bodily systems; and that disruption to normal nervous system function can contribute to a wide variety of common ailments. Surprisingly, the chiropractic literature has paid relatively little attention to the importance of neurological regulation of static upright human posture. With so much information available on how posture may affect health and function, we felt it important to review the neuroanatomical structures and pathways responsible for maintaining the spine and posture. Maintenance of static upright posture is regulated by the nervous system through the various postural reflexes. Hence, from a chiropractic standpoint, it is clinically beneficial to understand how the individual postural reflexes work, as it may explain some of the clinical presentations seen in chiropractic practice.

Effect of Platform Swing Walkway on Locomotor Behavior in Children With Diplegic Cerebral Palsy: Randomized Controlled Trial

“…In addition, improvement in motor performance may be attributed to the visual and proprioception input. This fact is supported by findings of Morningstar et al [22], who concluded that visual and vestibular input as well as joint and soft tissue mechanoreceptors play an important role in the regulation of static upright posture. Besides, Prokop et al [23] stated that a combination of visual and proprioceptive information is important for the modulation of walking velocity and indicates that visual information modifies stride length while proprioceptive input maintains a constant stride frequency, leading to a shift in walking velocity.…”

Association between Urinary Neurotransmitter Status and Scoliosis Progression: A Case-Controlled Series

“…Given the unique importance of these centers on reflexive neuromotor spinal control [24], disturbances in the levels of these neurotransmitters may have significant effects on spinal neuromotor output. This is supported by a previous study in which patients who participated in a chiropractic rehabilitation treatment for idiopathic scoliosis, and who also received concurrent treatment for urinary neurotransmitter imbalances, reported better follow-up outcomes at 6 months compared with patients who did not receive the neurotransmitter portion of treatment [25] [26].…”

Can eyes cause neck pain?

“…Vision appears to be the primary input in terms of relating to one's position in space in infancy (Legrand et al, 2011;Morningstar et al, 2005) and balance again becomes more visually dependent with age from the mid-forties onwards (Poulain & Giraudet, 2008). There is a suggestion that it may not just be sight that is important in terms of visual input to balance.…”

“…There is a suggestion that it may not just be sight that is important in terms of visual input to balance. Proprioceptive input from extra-ocular muscles may also be an important part of the visual postural control pathway, passing through the optic tract nucleus to the superior colliculus, which has an important role in head and eye orientation and coordination (Morningstar et al, 2005). The clinical implications of the proprioceptive input from extra-ocular muscles are addressed in the section on postural instability below.…”