| How to Test the Knee Jerk Reflex Posted: 11 Aug 2020 05:00 PM PDT If you've ever had a physical at the doctor's office, they probably tapped your knee with a little rubber hammer and made your leg kick out. This simple test is meant to check the reflexes in your leg, or how quickly signals travel between your nerves, spinal cord, and muscles. If you're curious about testing your own knee jerk (or patellar) reflex, you can easily do it with just your hand or a rubber reflex mallet! If you have any concerns about your reflexes, call your doctor. They can do more thorough testing to check for any possible problems. [Edit]Testing Your Own Knee Jerk Reflex - Sit on the edge of a bed or table with your legs dangling. Find a surface that's high enough so that you can let your legs dangle freely when you're sitting on it. Keep your knees bent at a 90° angle when you sit.[1]
- Your legs will need to be able to swing for you to see the reflex at work.
- You might also find it helpful to lift your knee slightly by placing one of your hands underneath it.
- Tap the spot right below your kneecap with the side of your hand. Feel your knee to find a slight gap between the bottom of your kneecap and the top of your shin bone. Gently tap that space with the side of your hand, or have a friend do it for you.[2]
- If you have a medical reflex hammer, that's even better! These hammers are specially designed to hit the tendon precisely without causing any pain. Don't use any other type of hammer, or you could hurt yourself.
- Alternatively, cup your hand and keep your fingers tightly together. Rest your wrist on your kneecap and swing your fingers down to hit the gap.
- Watch for your lower leg to kick forward slightly. When you tap your knee with the side of your hand or a reflex hammer, the muscles in your thigh will tense up briefly. Watch for your leg to kick out a little bit, then come to a rest.[3]
- You may feel a slight "tickling" sensation in your leg when you hit the tendon.
- You might get a stronger reaction if you're using a proper medical reflex hammer.
- If your leg doesn't respond at all or has a very sluggish reaction, that could be a sign of nerve damage in your leg or lower spine. If this happens, don't panic—it's possible you just didn't do the test correctly. Call your doctor if you're worried.
[Edit]Getting a Neurological Exam - See your doctor if you're concerned about a neurological problem. Reflex testing is a standard part of most general physical exams. However, your doctor might also recommend reflex testing if they suspect you have a neurological problem, such as a disease or injury that affects your nervous system.[4] Ask your doctor if you need a reflex test.
- They might also recommend a patellar reflex test if they suspect damage to the nerves in your lower back.[5]
- Talk to your doctor about your health history. Let your doctor know if you've had any injuries or illnesses that might affect your reflexes, or if you've had any symptoms you're concerned about. This will help them determine the source of the problem. Common symptoms of neurological disease or nerve damage include:[6]
- Sudden or persistent headaches
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness in any part of your body
- Changes in vision
- Tremors, involuntary movements, or loss of coordination
- Back pain that radiates to other parts of your body, like your legs
- Difficulty thinking, remembering, or concentrating
- Let them test all your deep tendon reflexes. In addition to testing your knee jerk reflex, your doctor or neurologist will test the reflexes in other parts of your body. Just like with the knee jerk reflex, they will test these reflexes by gently tapping your tendons with a rubber hammer.[7] Other common deep tendon reflex tests include:[8]
- The biceps and triceps reflexes. For these tests, the doctor will tap tendons near your elbow to make the muscles in your upper arm contract.
- The brachioradialis reflex. The doctor will tap a tendon above your wrist to make your forearm flex.
- The ankle reflex. This test involves tapping your Achilles tendon (the tendon that connects your heel to your calf muscles) with the hammer to make your foot jerk.
- Consent to other tests to determine the source of the problem. If your doctor suspects a neurological issue, they may refer you to a specialist, called a neurologist, for more testing. The neurologist will ask you about your health history and do a variety of tests. They might:[9]
- Test your ability to feel a soft cloth, some light needle pokes, or objects of different temperatures.
- Ask you questions to check your basic language and math skills, or test your ability to remember basic information.
- Check your vital signs, such as your pulse, respiration rate, body temperature, and blood pressure.
- It's possible that you can improve your reflexes with exercise. For example, you might be able to develop faster reflexes in your legs and feet by practicing running or kicking.[10] If you have any health issues, ask your doctor about what kind of exercise is safe for you.
- Ask a friend or family member to test your reflexes if you have trouble triggering them yourself.
- Hook your fingers together and try to pull them apart to help distract you from the test. That way, you'll get more accurate results.
[Edit]References |
| How to Make an Origami Giraffe Posted: 11 Aug 2020 09:00 AM PDT Origami giraffes are a fun gift for friends and family, or you can use them as a fun decoration. This particular pattern can be tricky, as it involves a lot of intricate folds and creases. Don't be discouraged if it takes you a few tries to make this—after all, practice makes perfect! [Edit]Creating the Initial Folds - Color in brown spots on some yellow origami paper to design the pattern. Take a brown marker and sketch out different shapes all over the colored side of your origami paper. Color in all the spots to create a realistic pattern for your origami giraffe.[1]
- Ideally, use origami paper that's about . However, any square-shaped piece of paper will work.[2]
- Fold and unfold the paper in half twice to make 2 creases. Lay the square piece of paper on your workspace, then fold the right and left edges together. Crease along the folded edge of the paper and unfold it again. To make the paper easier to work with, fold the paper from top to bottom to create another crease in your paper.[3]
- At this point, you'll have 2 creases forming a "plus" sign on your origami paper.
- Rotate the same sheet of paper so it looks like a diamond. Place your folded paper with the pattern side facing up. Turn the paper 45-degrees so it looks like a diamond, with the pointed corner facing upwards.[4]
- An origami giraffe requires a lot of folds, so you'll need to adjust your paper a lot to make all the folds you need.
- Fold and unfold the paper in half twice to make 2 more creases. Crease the paper so the top and bottom corners are touching each other. Press and slide your finger along the line to create a definitive crease along your paper. Unfold the paper and then fold it half again, allowing the left and right corners to meet. Crease this edge and unfold the paper again so the colored side is facing up.[5]
- At this point, your paper should have a total of 4 creases.
- Pinch and press the paper into a small square. Push the center of the paper up with your finger so all the creases slope away at a downward angle. Fold the paper in half slightly, leaving the bottom of the paper open. Pinch both sides of the folded paper and push them towards the center. At this point, flatten the paper into a folded square.[6]
- The colored, patterned side of the paper will still be facing outwards.
- Fold the side corners of paper into the center. Take the left corner on top of the folded square and fold the bottom left section of paper into the center, vertical crease. Repeat this process with the right corner of the square. Crease along the edges of these folds so the paper holds its shape.[7]
- You're only folding the top layer of paper, not the entire square.
- At this point, an unfolded triangle will be visible along the top of the square.
- Flip the square over and repeat this folding process. Turn your square over so the section you just folded is face-down. Do the same folding pattern that you did before, bringing the bottom right and left corners along the center the center crease. Press along the side creases to hold these folds in place.[8]
- At this point, both sides of the square will be folded. There will also be an unfolded triangle along the top of the back square.
[Edit]Forming the Basic Giraffe Shape - Fold the top triangular section of the paper downwards. Take the entire upper triangle and fold it down over the back side of the square. This will form a smaller triangle with the folded origami paper.[9]
- You'll be folding all the paper layers over instead of just 1.
- Flip the paper over and lift up the folded section. Hold your paper triangle with the recently folded triangle facing down. Open the 2 folds on the front of the triangle, then lift the unfolded paper upwards. This will form a large diamond shape within your origami paper.[10]
- This part can be a little tricky to get down at first. Don't be discouraged if you don't nail it right away!
- Press the paper into a kite shape. Refold the bottom sections of paper into a triangle shape along the bottom half of your origami paper. Make the top section of the diamond a mirror image of the bottom by folding 2 smaller triangles into the center of the paper.[11]
- At this point, your paper will look like a kite, with 4 equal triangles of paper folded towards the center.
- Do the same flip, fold, and press on the other side. Flip your paper over and lift up the small triangle that you just folded over. Unfold the larger triangles along the bottom half of the diamond, then unfold the paper into a larger diamond as you did before. Press the bottom half of the diamond into 2 identical triangles, and repeat the same folds with the top, unfolded section of paper. When you're done, both sides of the origami will look identical.[12]
- This section will also look like a kite.
- Hold the paper structure upright and fold it in half. Pinch the top half of each diamond on both sides of your origami paper. Tug on both sections to expand the paper, creating a larger structure. Pull and stretch out the folded origami until the top, colored section of paper is completely flat. Fold the upright paper vertically so 4 even points of paper stick out in each direction.[13]
- You'll be folding the paper backwards instead of forwards as you do this.
- Fold the 2 side points upward to create a paper hat shape. Pinch along both sides of the front and back points of your origami paper. Check that the triangles match each other and create an even fold. Always crease along the bottom edge of your fold so the paper holds its shape.[14]
- At this point, your origami giraffe will kind of resemble a paper hat.
[Edit]Fine-tuning the Features - Flip the paper and push the left section of paper upwards. Shift your folded origami paper so the folded points are now facing downwards. Hold the central part of the paper with 1 hand, then use your opposite to push the left point upwards. When pushed forward, the paper will become a regular folded triangle, similar to a kite shape.[15]
- This will serve as the neck and head of your giraffe.
- Fold the front section of paper backward to form the neck and front legs. Press along the left and right sections of the neck, creasing them in place so they fold around the giraffe's body.
- Crease the back section of paper downwards to form the back legs. Create an initial fold for the back legs before you actually fold them into place. Take the right, folded point of paper and fold it downwards, creating a basic leg shape. Press along the edge of the fold to form an exact crease.[16]
- This isn't the permanent position of the back legs—the crease will just help you assemble the giraffe.
- The point of the front and back legs need to be the same length. If your back leg is too long or too short, you may need to refold.
- Unfold the back legs and crease them into place. Lift the folded paper so it's back in a straight line, then turn the paper inside out. Fold and crease 1 triangle along the left side of the giraffe, and the other triangle along the right side of the giraffe. Check that both of these triangles are mirror images of 1 another.[17]
- The back legs should still be in line with the front legs.
- Fold and crease the upper section of the paper neck to form the head. Take a small, section or so from the top, upper point of the giraffe's neck and fold it forwards. Crease along the fold so you have a distinct idea of where the giraffe's head will go. As you did with the back legs, unfold the section of paper making up the head and crease 1 triangle along the left and right sides of the giraffe's neck.[18]
- Crease and fold both halves of the neck to make it thin and rectangular. Unfold the giraffe's neck slightly, which should resemble a large, folded triangle. Fold and crease in the tipped edge of the neck, giving the giraffe's neck a straight edge and rectangular shape. Repeat this on the other side so the giraffe's neck looks straight and sleek.[19]
- Repeat this folding and creasing section along the giraffe's back. Open up the folds on top of the giraffe's back and fold a small, triangular section of paper inwards on each side. Crease along the edges so the giraffe's back looks straight instead of humped.[20]
- You can display your giraffe by balancing it on its paper legs.
- An origami giraffe is a lot more difficult to make than some other origami shapes. If you're new to origami folding, you may want to start with a simpler animal, like a crane.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - yellow origami paper
- Markers (optional)
[Edit]References |
| How to Hold a Knife Posted: 11 Aug 2020 01:00 AM PDT If you want to improve your knife skills and stay safer in the kitchen, it all starts with holding your blade properly. Adjusting your grip on a knife will let you make more controlled and quicker cuts so you're more efficient. It also prevents the blade from slipping so you're less likely to have an accident in the kitchen. With a bit of practice and care, you'll stay safe while handling your knives. [Edit]Gripping a Standard Chef's Knife - Pinch the base of the blade with your thumb and index finger. Grip the knife with your dominant hand so you have the most control. Press your thumb against the side of the blade right where it meets the handle. Then put your index finger on the other side of the blade so your fingertip is just above the sharp cutting edge. Squeeze the blade between your fingers so you have a firm grip.[1]
- This hand position keeps your wrist in line with the blade so it's more comfortable to use.
- Avoid holding the knife by the end of the handle since you won't be able to get a firm grip.
- You can wrap your index finger and thumb around the handle just behind the blade if it's comfortable for you, but you won't have as much control when you make precise cuts.[2]
- Curl your other 3 fingers around the handle. Loop your middle, ring, and pinky finger around the handle so they're directly behind the blade. Keep your fingers close together so you don't see the knife's handle between them.[3]
- The knife should fit comfortably in your palm while you're holding it. If you have to twist or position your fingers awkwardly, then readjust your grip or try using a different knife.
- Squeeze the handle firmly so the knife doesn't move around. Tighten your grip on the knife so it doesn't slip or rattle around in your hands. Keep the blade so it's in line with your wrist and arm. Don't shift any of your fingers when you use your knife, or else you could risk cutting yourself.[4]
- Keep the blade pointed down while you're carrying it. If you ever need to walk through the kitchen with your knife, firmly grip it by the handle. Hold the blade on the side of your body so the tip points toward the ground. That way, you're less likely to injure yourself or someone else.[5]
- If you drop your knife, move out of the way and let it fall to the ground. Do not try to catch it since you could accidentally grab the blade.
[Edit]Guiding the Knife while Cutting - Curl the fingers on your non-dominant hand into a claw. Lay your non-dominant hand flat on your countertop or table with your palm face-down. Push your fingertips into the surface to lift up your palm. Curl your fingertips back so they're behind the first knuckles on your finger. When your hand is in the right position, it should look like the letter C.[6]
- Pretend you're holding an imaginary baseball to get your hand in the correct position.
- Never extend your fingertips past your knuckles since you're more likely to cut yourself.
- Rest your fingertips on the food you're cutting. Keep your hand locked in the claw shape and position your arm so your wrist is parallel to the edge of your cutting board. Press your fingertips into the ingredient just behind where you want to make your cut. Make sure the first knuckles on your fingers are in front of your fingertips so you don't injure yourself.[7]
- Position the ingredient so the flattest side is on the bottom. That way, it's less likely to rock or move around when you try to cut it. If you're working with a round or irregularly shaped ingredient, cut it in half before you continue chopping it.
- Press the side of the blade against your knuckles. Hold the knife with your dominant hand so you have the most control. Move the blade next to your guide hand so it pushes against the first knuckle on your index or middle finger. Keep your fingertips curled back so they're away from the sharp edge of the blade.[8]
- Your knuckles will help keep the blade straight and protect your fingertips.
- Rock the knife blade forward to cut through the ingredient. Press down on the ingredient with your guide hand so it doesn't slip or move. Hold the knife at a 30- or 45-degree angle so the tip touches your cutting board. Push the knife forward as you bring the base of the blade down. Use a single, fluid motion while you slice through the ingredient to make the cleanest cuts.[9]
- Be careful not to lift the knife up so much that the cutting edge lifts up over your knuckle, or else you may cut yourself.
- Avoid lifting the knife straight up and down since you won't get clean cuts and could cause the blade to slip.
- Move your guide hand backward as you're cutting. After each cut, slide your non-dominant hand further back along the ingredient. Check the width of the first piece you sliced, and shift your guide hand back enough to cut another piece that's the same size. Once you reposition your non-dominant hand, press the side of the blade back against your knuckles and continue cutting.[10]
- It's okay if you cut slowly when you're first starting off. As you practice and feel more comfortable using your knife, you'll be able to increase your speed.
- Always keep your fingertips behind your knuckles when you reposition your hand.
- Place your guide hand on top of the blade's tip if you're mincing. Hold the knife by the handle with your dominant hand and keep the blade parallel with the long edge of the cutting board. Press the tip of the blade against the cutting board. Rest the fingers of your non-dominant hand on the blade's blunt edge right above the tip. Keep the blade tip against your cutting board as you rock the handle up and down to make your cuts.[11]
- This works great for breaking down herbs, onions, garlic, and other ingredients into small, fine pieces.
- Practice your knife skills in your free time so you get more confident handling a blade.
[Edit]Warnings - Pay attention to where you position your hands and fingers while using your knife so you don't accidentally cut yourself.
- Avoid holding the blade loosely since you won't have as much control and could hurt yourself.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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