A ‘reactor’ muscle, also called a ‘bully’ muscle, is a muscle that ‘takes’ over or over-works, stopping supporting (reactive) muscles from working properly.
A reactor muscle can start during injury recovery. An injury can be as simple as over-stretching, or suddenly contracting a muscle, or poor posture, e.g., from working at a computer. Reactor muscles can also develop from emotional and/or stress-related issues. At the time of the injury, the reactor may ‘correctly’ take over from other muscles, to protect and prevent further damage during healing. The issue occurs if the muscle remains in the ‘over-working’ state, after the injured is healed, or if the injury doesn’t heal properly. The surrounding muscles never fully return to their pre-injury level of functioning: they are in effect inhibited by the reactor, hence are called reactives.
Over time, maladaptive ‘holding patterns’ and postural issues can develop, causing pain, restricting movement, and decreasing enjoyment of hobbies and other physical activities.
Kinesiology uses a very easy technique to quickly identify and address reactor and reactive muscle patterns. Re-setting the balance in muscle functioning can improve posture, sports/general performance, reduce pain, and enhance general well-being. Improvements can be seen within 1 -3 sessions.
If you think reactor/reactive muscles might be inhibiting your life in some way, contact me to find out more about how kinesiology can help!