Clinical Applications of AK Neurology

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Clinical Applications of AK Neurology

• AK neurology is more appropriately referred to as
  functional neurology.
• Functional neurology takes into account
  inhibition patterns, movement, and chemistry
• Functional neurology addresses all five factors
  of the IVF

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With few exceptions, all activity of the CNS,
receiving, processing, and integrating
information, ultimately find expression in
contraction of a muscle Despopoulos, A.,
Silbernage, S., Color Atlas of Physiology, Year
Book Medical Publishers, Georg Theme, Verlag.

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In AK neurology we typically look at functional
systems vs. single areas of lesion

• It is likely that isolated areas of neurological
  lesions do not express themselves as muscle
  inhibition patterns. muscle inhibition patterns
• In AK we tend to look at muscle inhibition
  patterns therefore functional systems

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There are basically four functional systems

• Functional systems are based around primitive
  survival mechanisms
• Survival mechanisms are based around movement
• Movement to feed, defend, escape, and reproduce
  

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The four functional systems include

• Withdrawal system defense
• Pyramidal motor system movement to, escape,
  feed, and reproduce
• Autonomic system provides fuel for movement
• Limbic system provides motivation to move in
  order to feed and reproduce

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Functional systems are comprised of several
neurological components including

• Withdrawal system IML, reticular formation,
  vestibular mechanism, cerebellum, spinal cord
  interneurons etc.
• Pyramidal system both motor and sensory cortex,
  basal ganglia, and cerebellum
• Autonomic system hypothalamus, Pituitary,
  brainstem nuclei, IML, cerebellum, etc.
• Limbic system cortex, hippocampus, amygdala,
  brain stem nuclei, cerebellum etc.

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All four systems present with distinct inhibition
patterns lending themselves well to AK
applications

• Withdrawal system unilateral upper body flexor
  inhibition and contralateral lower body flexor
  inhibition
• Pyramidal pattern finger abductors, wrist
  extensors, shoulder abductors, hip and toe
  flexors
• Autonomic pattern global flexors or global
  extensor inhibition-depending on sym/parasym

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Withdrawal system

• Only slightly influenced by descending
  supraspinal activity
• Responds to pain, both visceral or somatic, or
  even the threat of pain
• Patients with this pattern will either have
  significant visceral dysfunction and or localized
  or systemic inflammatory processes

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The main motor component of the withdrawal system
is the spinal cord interneurons

• Spinal cord interneurons are sensitive to both
  mechanical and chemical influence
• Spinal cord interneurons are sensitive to
  hormones, NTs, as well as inflammatory hormones
  and cytokines

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Because of significant spinal cord interneuron
involvement in withdrawal system dysfunction
there will disruption of primitive reflexes

• Reciprocal inhibition and facilitation
• GTO and MSB integration
• Tonic stretch refles

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withdrawal pattern is typically corrected by

• Removing somatic dysfunction
• Segmental manipulation
• Correcting dysfunctional reflexes
• Correcting visceral dysfunction
• Visceral manipulation
• Neurolymphatics

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Example of withdrawal system reflexes and
corrections

• Reciprocal inhibition and facilitation
• contraction of upper body flexor should
  facilitate lower body contralateral lower body
  flexor
• GTO-MSB integration
• Pinch golgi tendon organ and stretch muscle
  spindle bundle should cause facilitation of
  agonist msucle
• Tonic stretch reflex
• Contraction of agonist should inhibit antagonist
  fore one contraction

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The pyramidal motor system has significant
influences on other systems

• Movement needs fuel
• The pyramidal system influences the autonomic
  motor system-IML to deliver fuel
• Mechanical bombardment of the cerebellum by joint
  mechanoreceptors results in major autonomic drive
  to deliver fuel

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Some AK techniques for correcting pyramidal
system dysfunction

• Vestibulocolic reflex
• Neck flexor contraction should facilitate upper
  body flexors
• PLUS pattern
• Seated forward bending should inhibit piriformis,
  lat, upper trap, SCM

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Novel cerebellar reflexes associated with
pyramidal dysfunction

• Cerebellar sensory input modulation
• Rub finger tips on pan legs etc. top feeltexture
  of material
• Test extensor contralateral to pyramidal pattern
• Cerebellar somatosensory cortex integration
• Rub area of body contralateral to pyramidal
  pattern while visually observing the spot
• Test extensor contralateral to pyramidal pattern

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The autonomic system presents with two distinct
bilateral patterns

• Increased IML activity will cause global
  hypertonic extensors resulting in global flexor
  inhibition
• Decreased IML activity will cause global
  hypertonic flexors resulting in global extensor
  inhibition
• Decreased vagal activity will result in global
  flexor inhibition

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The hypothalamus is the chief subcortical center
for the regulation of both sympathetic and
parasympathetic activities

• Hpothalamus receives chemical sensory input and
  emotional input
• Changes in autonomic balance as a response to
  these inputs to maintain homeostas
• Descending pathways are bilateral
• Increased or decreased activity results in
  bilateral patterns

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AK techniques for correcting autonomic dysfunction

• Visceral Parietal pain technique
• Correcting visceral sensory feedback
• Cytokine liver challenge
• Normalizing cytokine influence on PVN
• Pituitary/pineal techniques
• Control of adrenal output
• GI-vagal-brainstem axis
• Correction of GI sensory vagal feedback loop

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The limbic system is the basis for all motivation
to move

• Limbic connections to the autonomic system are so
  strong that even the thought of movement or an
  emotion will increase fuel delivery
• Mentally disturbed patients will either be hyper
  or hypo kinetic

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The inhibition patterns of limbic dysfunction is
based on hyper and hypo function

• When the limbic system is in a state of rage
  there is upper body extensor inhibition and lower
  body flexor inhibition
• This pattern is based on the Netter drawing of
  the man in rage
• When the limbic system is in a hypo active state
  there is a pattern of global extensor inhibition
• This pattern is based on the fetal position

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AK techniques for limbic dysfunction

• NET-Walker
• Emotional quick fix-Schmitt
• Limbic system challenge-Belli