Checking Your Own Reflexes?

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To some extent. I find the babinksi is hard to do ...Its best to let the docs do it. Its sorta like tickling yourself...lolLovely
 
The answer to this would be NO!They test your reflexes to see if any are assemetric (such as in the limb you are having strength issues is) to get a clue as to what might be going on and warrant other testing. They have a scale that they go by (+1, +2, +3 or absent etc) to rate the reflexes. Unless you are a trained GP or specialist you would not know what to look for and how to classify them. The babinski cannot be done by yourself. It is done to detect lower limb nerve involvement in MND. My neuro showed me the "candy cane ish" motion that has to be done that would trigger the "upgoing" toe that they are looking for. I can get my toe to go up and down (I know because I did it countless times before he explained to me that a neuro has to do it). But I was doing it incorrectly and someone might get their toe to go up, sending them into a panic. We dont want that now do we! :D) Sean B.
 
Oh and by the way for 2 visits I had my left leg that was assemetric and the neuro said anxiety can cause it. The 3rd visit it was back to normal. It really means nothing unless added in with other signs and even then its probibly not ALS related. Sean B.
 
I had my doctor check my reflexes a week ago in my patellar and achilles. I thought they were brisk, but he didn't say anything, other than my left achilles was hyporeflexic. I'm concerned he isn't considering ALS just because of my age.
 
How old are you?It's not allowed for doctors to think ' oh they are youg, chance that ...is...'. They know it can strike young people, youngest case I know was 16.At first that was my concern too but there are cases enough known from young people.Testing your own reflexes is nearly impossible, only a neuro knows what to look for. Mine are brisk too: reasons because I'm young, anxiety, body type...I'm trying not to fixate on my body anymore, if they told you it's BFS it will be BFS. Looking at your body: you will find something that you think is abnormal (I know what I'm talking about)Don't test your body: every stair, every weight, ...it will fatique your body because it isn't used to do this. (i know what I'm talking about)B
 
I'm 23, statistically unlikely, but not impossible. I haven't had an EMG, just reflex and strength testing. He thinks the fascics are from my anxiety med. Unfortunately, I can't remember if I had the twitching before I started to take the meds. I think my initial symptoms were loss of focus, weird sensation in my right arm, and a lump in the throat. I thought I had rabies (talk about a REALLY rare disease). Sometime around then I decided to google ALS and that's when **** hit the fan. It's been about 2-3 months, 2 months on the med.
 
I think I wasn't even twitching before I read : *** and twitchingI had pain in my legs and for one reason or another I come on an *** board and read twitching. I was thinking Oh please don't start to twitch...1 week later..twitch twitch, twitch twitch. Our mind is a very powerful toolB
 
I don't think so, especially things like the dreaded Babinski.I am not so sure anyone can test my basic knee jerk reflexes, they just hit and hit and nothing happens. That is normal if you are tense.
 
It is a reflex that those of us who have googled bad things would probably be better off not knowing about. As has been written it is not something you can really self test and like EMG's something that puts most of us in the clear because we don't display it.
 
My docs said it's not possible - not only because we are not trained to understand the results, but also for physiological/mechanical reasons. When self-testing for Babinski for instance we have to put or body in a position that stretches muscles in a way that render the "Tests" meaningless...A few months ago I wanted to self-test my strength and I ended giving myself a sciatica-like pain that lasted weeks (sitting and standing up on one leg while rotating my upper body...don't do that at home...)
 
My docs said it's not possible - not only because we are not trained to understand the results, but also for physiological/mechanical reasons. When self-testing for Babinski for instance we have to put or body in a position that stretches muscles in a way that render the "Tests" meaningless...A few months ago I wanted to self-test my strength and I ended giving myself a sciatica-like pain that lasted weeks (sitting and standing up on one leg while rotating my upper body...don't do that at home...)
 
Well, we forget about what the neurologist told us the week before...Then we would bet on the validy of our self-testing results...Only BFS can do that.
 
I am a compulsive reflex checker. I thought I was doing Babinski reflex correctly but when the neuro did it, my toes didn't respond which I guess is normal too. Usually when I do it, they go down. I can check my knee reflexes though. I always get them to react.
 
Personally i think it is really hard to check your own reflexes. I've had mine checked by a rheumatologist and my chiropractor in the last 2 weeks. They both did clinical strength testing too and they said I am normal. Wish i could just believe them and move on. My twitches are better, but I still get a perceived weakness feeling that comes and goes. It's weird, it doesn't stop me from performing tasks, it just feels odd. But, my main symptom continues to be muscle pain. I know...that isn't how **S presents. Yet, still i worry they have all missed "it" in these clinical exams.Linda
 

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