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Messages & Signals
Sensory Messages
Sensory messages are sent from parts of your
body, i.e. your hand, to your spinal cord.
The spinal cord then relays the message to
the brain. When the message reaches your
brain it is interpreted as a feeling such as
touch, pressure, pain or temperature (hot
or cold). There is another vital sensation
that you may never have been aware of. It
is called proprioception and it subconsciously
keeps track of what position your limbs and
joints are in. Proprioception messages give
the brain information about body position to
help the brain coordinate precise movements
almost unconsciously i.e. that it is time to
move your hand to another position.
1. Pain message sent off
from foot
2. Reflex reactio
bounces off spin
3. Brain checks to see if
danger is cleared and
then limits movement
Motor Messages
Motor messages begin in your brain and
travel down your spinal cord. Spinal nerves
direct these messages to the appropriate
parts of your body. These signals control
most of the muscles in your body.
Reflex Messages
Your body has an amazing defence
mechanism built into it. Not all messages
sent from parts of your body go all the way
to the brain. The spinal cord has the ability
to make some decisions on its own.
For example, if you stepped on a sharp tack,
your skin sends a sensory message to the
spinal cord. If the message is identified as a
‘panic’ signal then the spinal cord will send
a reflex signal to the muscle group where
the message originated. Your foot will jerk
away from the source of pain immediately
without you having to think about it i.e. it
happens automatically.
The original message will still get to the
brain and your brain will limit the reflex
reaction.
© New Zealand Spinal Trust, 2014
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