Pressure point knockouts and neurodynamics

Abstract

Without understanding the underlying neurodynamics, for decades, martial artists have safely employed a phenomenon known as pressure point knockouts (PPK). PPK are low-force martial arts techniques that reversibly alter consciousness in the receiver. Beyond altered consciousness, symptoms of the PPK include pupillary dilation, pallor, diaphoresis, loss of motor control, altered respiration, and, reportedly, altered heart rate. PPK are primarily attacks to the head, frequently combined with an extremity manipulation but also include techniques to reverse the effects, known as revivals. PPK practitioners often use a series of theories drawn loosely from Traditional Chinese Medicine to explain both the attacks and revivals. This study examines PPK and then discusses two related categories of information: the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) and the study of neurodynamics. The trigeminocardiac reflex is an unusual constellation of autonomic effects encountered in reaction to stimulation of the trigeminal nerve. Neurodynamics recognizes that excessive mechanical tension of nerves can have adverse effects both peripherally and centrally on the nervous system, as seen in the double crush syndrome. By combining these categories, this paper proposes a theory of PPK which uses neurodynamic tension of the upper cervical spine transmitted via the myodural bridges of the suboccipital muscles, enhanced by extremity neurodynamic positioning and the double crush phenomenon, to elicit a version of the trigeminocardiac reflex. Viewed within the context of the TCR and neurodynamics, the practice of PPK presents a novel laboratory to study aspects of the treatment of difficult cranial vault and maxillofacial problems.