Isaac,
You ask "What is ANT?"
Although I like the term “adverse neural tension” for its simplicity
and I feel that it accurately describes a common situation where within
the nerve there is tautness where slackness would ordinarily occur, the
more recent term in neurobiology is “abnormal neurodynamics.” This
encompasses additional chemical processes that would produce symptoms
without this specific mechanical problem. Still, excessive and prolonged
elongation of the nervous tissue remains a compelling idea by
itself.
Consider this passage from page 125 of Moving In On Pain
(Butterworth-Heinemann Australia 1995) edited by Michael O. Shacklock:
When nerves are elongated within physiologic (normal) limits, adequate neural blood flow is maintained, but only up to the point where the normal vascular protective mechanisms are preserved. Maintenance of intraneural blood flow during neural elongation is accomplished by the blood vessels in nerves containing undulations and coils. When nerves are loose, these vascular convolutions are accentuated. However, if the nerve is lengthened, the vascular coils follow the nerve elongation and are pulled taut. Furthermore, the lumen of the vessels is reduced and occlusion can occur, particularly when the nerve is stretched beyond the limit of protection (Lundborg & Rydevik 1973). The blood vessels are then strangled, intraneural blood flow is compromised and nerve function deteriorates (Ogata & Ngaito 1986). If the stretch is taken only slightly beyond the protective limits, and for a brief period, nerve function is likely to return rapidly to normal (Lundborg et at 1982). However, if the strain in the nerve is particularly severe or sustained, the alterations in nerve function will be permanent. The relevance of intraneural blood flow is that excessive mechanical stress may cause anoxia and nerve damage, leading to heightened mechanosensitivity and pain. In these circumstances, movements that mechanically stress the neural tissues may evoke symptoms.
REFERENCES
Lundborg G, Rydevik B 1973 Effects of stretching the tibial nerve of the rabbit. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery 55B: 390-401
Ogata K, Ngaito M 1986 Blood flow of peripheral nerve effects of dissection, stretching and compression. Journal of Hand Surgery 11B: 10-14
Lundborg G, Gelbermann R, Minteer-Convery M et al 1982 Median nerve compression in the carpal tunnel - functional response to experimentally induced controlled pressure. Journal of Hand Surgery 7: 252-259
This was copied from “Neuropathic Pathogenesis: The Case for Neural Tension” on my web site http://barrettdorko.com
I think the majority of the people I see for painful problems have this sort of mechanosensitivity secondary to tautness in the system and I work to resolve it by amplifying the ideomotor activity designed to reduce that.
Barrett L. Dorko, P.T.
