Question About Knee Reflex

[ySplendidCrafts9]

I was just wondering if anyone knows about the knee reflex. When I was at the neuro and he banged my knee my left one went flying, but my right one didnt do the same. Is that a sign of something? The neuro didnt say anything about it, but maybe he didnt want to scare me? I have been reading something about assymetrical is that what I have?

 

[simonw00]

Hi thereI know that there are lots of causes of assymetrical reflexes, including in the knee, i.e. one reflex being more or less strong than the opposite side. It may be that both relfexes were 'within the normal limit' but were different from each other for a simple reason such as the quads muscle was more relaxed than the other when the neurologist tapped that reflex. So it may be the case that what you noted to be reflex assymetry is a non-issue. However, if there is a genuine assymetry there are many of these causes and a good number of them are not serious. I guess you do'nt know which of the two was normal, i.e. was one over-exaggarated (hyper-reflexia) or the other under-exaggarated? Each scenario has a different list of medical causes, so I do'nt think you are going to be able to find out much online until you next meet with your neurologist. Your neurologist will have put his/ her examination findings into the context of your symptoms and other things s/he found on examination, which you didn't mention in your enquiry. If there is a long delay before your next visit or any tests that have been arranged, then it may be worth your while trying to make contact with the neurologist to seek clarification about your case and hopefully this will give you some reassurance whilst you are awaiting follow up.Good luckSimon

 

[ySplendidCrafts9]

One of my legs went higher than the other. This is making me real nervous now. I aksed the neuro if that was normal, and he said yes, but I am not sure if he knew what I was referring to.

 

[simonw00]

Hi Chez8As per my last note, I do'nt think that what you described sounds anything to concern yourself with in its own right. I am sure that your neurologist wouldn't have said that the difference between the two legs was normal if it wasn't. I am a family doctor (and certainly do'nt claim to be a specialist on anything neurological, apart from my own experiences as a BFS patient!) and do encounter patients whose reflexes are like you describe and without this being anything to worry about. I certainly remember that when I was being examined by the neurologist who checked me out, that I watched everything she did closely and was concerned thaat there were various differences between left and right. However, she pronounced the examination as being normal and I know that she ould conduct dozens of such examinations a week and has been doing for years so I trusted her judgment. I even went as far as checking my own reflexes by the way, such was my own worry so certailny I can understand why you were worried about this. Hopefully, the reflex thing is nothing to worry about but I still think it would help put your mind at rest if you were able to confirm with the neurologist that there was nothing on examination that was worrying.Good luckSimon