Lesson: Intersegmental Reflexes

Lesson: Intersegmental Reflexes — How One Strike Affects Distant Areas

What Are Intersegmental Reflexes?

Intersegmental reflexes are reflex arcs that cross multiple spinal segments, meaning a stimulus at one spinal level can cause a motor or autonomic reaction far from the original site.

This is a deeper level of integration than the simple local reflex arc.

How They Work:

1. A sensory receptor (e.g., muscle spindle, nociceptor, or cutaneous nerve) detects a stimulus

2. The signal travels to the spinal cord at one segment (e.g., C6)

3. It ascends or descends within the spinal cord via interneurons

4. A response is generated at another segment (e.g., T7), causing a reaction like:

• Muscle contraction or inhibition

• Postural shift

• Sympathetic autonomic response (heart rate, pupil dilation, sweat, etc.)

Martial Arts Example:

Imagine you apply a precise strike to LI10 (Radial Nerve, C6–C7).

You may observe:

• Reflexive postural tilt

• Inhibition of opposite hip flexors

• In some cases, autonomic effects like nausea or visual disturbance

Why? Because the spinal segments involved are interconnected via:

• Fascial slings

• Sympathetic ganglia

• Propriospinal pathways

Kyusho & Tuite Application:

• You strike TW5 (C7–T1), then immediately attack GB21 (C3–C4)

→ You’re layering input across spinal segments, triggering an intersegmental cascade.

• A joint lock at the wrist (C6–C8) that causes a loss of balance at the hips (L2–L4) is also using this principle.

Combine With:

• Fascial Line Knowledge (like Anatomy Trains)

• Dermatomes & Myotomes

• Breathing or startle patterns

This starts to explain deeper why we see unusual responses to many points in areas other than where we are attacking!

Understand the Science. Master the Art! 🐼