The Method of Proprioceptive-Deep Tendon Reflex (P-DTR) in Functional Neurology
The method of Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex (P-DTR) was founded and developed by Dr. Jose Palomar and has been successfully used in clinical practice for several years. P-DTR is the first neurological manual therapy based on neurology, neurophysiology, biomechanics and basics of Applied Kinesiology.
P-DTR is a neurological, reflexogenic system that efficiently treats a wide spectrum of functional problems and solves musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, hormonal, chemical, and emotional dysfunctions. Dysfunction is a physiological and reflexive disorder that, in most cases, has a compen- satory mechanism. The main goal of the P-DTR treatment is to restore the optimal reflexive activity of the nervous system to a stimulus. This includes its motor, vegetative, and sensory response, which would result in no symptoms of pain or discomfort as perceived by the client, optimal range of motion, and accurate appropriate adaptation to the conditions of the external environment. In other words, Neurological Health is restored in this way.
P-DTR is a very gentle, non-invasive, and painless method based on the real time manual effect of particular sensory receptors on the human body. Doctor Palomar created a unique system of neurological challenges and has discovered the predictable “rules” that demonstrate how the CNS responds to stimulus. He has demonstrated extensively the difference in the CNS response under normal conditions (no dysfunction) and during the stimulation of a dysfunctional afferent input. The types of manual afferent inputs (stimuli) that are used can be produced in a variety of ways includ- ing light swiping (to stimulate the receptors of touch), local stretching (to stimulate Golgi receptors), deep pressure (Pacini receptors) and many more. Today, P-DTR works with most of the exteroreceptors, interoreceptors and proprioceptors that form the afferent input to the CNS.
The physiological explanation of this method is logical – each type of receptor (for example: Golgi, Pacini, vibration, nociceptors etc.) is stimulated and when the threshold for that receptor has been exceeded by the amount of stimuli, the stimuli are converted into electrical impulses. These electrical impulses form the afferent information that reaches the CNS with each type of input being relayed along their respective path ways. The CNS receives this information, interprets it and makes a motor or gland response based on the synthesis of all the information it has received. For example, the sensation of PAIN. It is synthesized directly in the brain and is a complex product of the information from the nociceptive, proprioceptive and exteroceptive systems. Put simply, the sensation of pain would be the interpretation of the brain based on a complex integration of information from variety of different sources.