reflex hammer


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reflex hammer

n.
A small, rubber-headed hammer used in medical examination or diagnosis primarily for percussion of nerves to elicit reflexes. Also called plexor.

reflex hammer

Etymology: L, reflectere, to bend back; AS, hamer
a percussion mallet with a rubber head used to tap tendons, nerves, or muscles to elicit reflex reactions.

reflex hammer

A hammer used for tapping body parts such as a muscle, tendon, or nerve in order to test nerve function.
See also: hammer
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References in periodicals archive ?
The Boston researchers gave study participants a variety of diagnostic tests, including one called Tinel sign, in which physicians drop a small reflex hammer five times on the wrist and record whether the patient feels pain in at least one finger innervated by the median nerve.
Failure to finger carpal tunnel syndrome
Her GP took her blood pressure, which was incredibly high, and using his stethoscope and a reflex hammer he told her she was having a stroke.
UK women unaware of their stroke risk, new poll reveals
A potential forearm fracture requires elbow and wrist radiographs, even if you can hit those joints with a reflex hammer and get no painful reaction.
Moonwalk
It makes the leg kick up when the doctor strikes the knee with a rubber reflex hammer.
Cerebral Palsy and the Basics of Movement
It's like trying to stop your knee jerking when the doctor hits it with his little reflex hammer.
THE FIRST WORD
The neurological examination assesses muscle tone (floppy or rigid), the tendon-jerk response to a reflex hammer, the range of motion of joints, coordination, responses to sensory stimula such as a pin prick, eye and tongue functioning, facial movements, and swallowing; and helps to determine asymmetry and other variations from what would be considered normal development.
Origins and Causes of Cerebral Palsy: Symptoms and Diagnosis

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