Proprioceptive Stimulation. An Effective Tool for Reversing Postural Distortions and Eliminating Chronic Pain

Prof/Dr Rothbart's Research Website

Your Subtitle text

Righting Reflex - Lovett Reactor

In order to maintain postural homeostasis, the body is continuously compensating, keeping itself balanced over the feet and its head over the cervical spine with the eyes level to the horizon. The following simple experiment demonstrates this automatic, subconscious postural reflex:

Stand up

Move your hip to one side

Your ribcage automatically tilts in the opposite direction
Your neck automatically tilts in the same direction as your hip

This automatic reflex (tilt in posture) maintains your head over your cervical spine, your eyes level to the horizon and your weight over your feet.

Lovett (1905) described a coupling of motion between the pelvis and cranial bones (See Diagram, Lovett Reactor, below) and different vertebrae in the spine (commonly referred to as the Lovett Reactor): each vertebrae is coupled in motion with another vertebrae, the pelvis is coupled in motion to the cranium:

Spinal Coupling:

C1 should move in a similar direction as L5
C2 should move in a similar direction as L4
C3 should move in a similar direction as L3
C4 should move in the opposite direction as L2
C5 should move in the opposite direction as L1
This continues downward to T5 which moves in the opposite direction as T6

Pelvic-Cranial Coupling:

Sacrum should move in the opposite direction as the occiput
The ilium should move in the oppositie direction to the ipsilateral (same side) temporal bone (e.g., an anteriorly rotated left ilium should automatically rotate the left temporal bone posteriorly)
The coccyx should move in the same direction as the sphenoid bone

In essence, the Lovett Reactor is a description of what occurs in the pelvis, vertebrae and cranial bones when the Righting Reflex is working correctly.

Lovett Reactor - Motion in the coccyx is coupled to motion in the cranial bones.

However, postural distortions can result throughout the body if the Righting Reflex is obstructed. Common causes of obstruction are: the Rothbarts Foot and the PreClinical Clubfoot Deformity (both resulting in an Ascending Postural Distortional Pattern).

Reference:

Lovett RM. 1905 The Mechanism of the Normal Spine and Its Relation to Scoliosis. Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, Vol CLIII, No 3.

Prof/Dr Brian A Rothbart
Chronic Pain Elimination Specialist
Discovered the Rothbarts Foot Structure and the PreClinical Clubfoot Deformity
Developer of Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy
Inventor and Designer of Rothbart Proprioceptive Insoles
Founder of International Academy of Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy
Author of Forever Free From Chronic Pain