Why does the doctor scratch the bottom of your foot when doing an examination?!
Question: Why does the doctor scratch the bottom of your foot when doing an examination!?
Answers:
This is a neurological exam, testing your reflexes
Physicians test the plantar response by scraping an object across the sole of the foot beginning from the heel, moving forward toward the small toe, and then arcing medially toward the big toe!. The normal response is downward contraction of the toes!. The abnormal response, called Babinski's sign, is characterized by an upgoing big toe and fanning outward of the other toes!. In some patients the toes are "silent," moving neither up nor down!. If the toes are downgoing on one side and silent on the other, the silent side is considered abnormal!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Physicians test the plantar response by scraping an object across the sole of the foot beginning from the heel, moving forward toward the small toe, and then arcing medially toward the big toe!. The normal response is downward contraction of the toes!. The abnormal response, called Babinski's sign, is characterized by an upgoing big toe and fanning outward of the other toes!. In some patients the toes are "silent," moving neither up nor down!. If the toes are downgoing on one side and silent on the other, the silent side is considered abnormal!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
he does not always do that, if he does, its part of a neuro exam, if he scratches your foot and you react, its clear there is no nerve damage to your legs, as your feet are at your extremes, sometimes he may scratch like an l shape, this should elicit a clonus response, i!.e!. your toes grip, this is normal, again what the doc would want to see!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
To make sure that your nerves are working in your feet and that you can feel when he scratches it!.Www@Answer-Health@Com