Before We Correct Retained Reflexes: Why the Brain and Cranial System Must Be Ready First

When we begin talking about retained reflexes, it is easy to want to jump straight to the reflex itself. If the Moro Reflex is active, correct the Moro. If the Babinski Reflex is active, correct the Babinski. If the Palmar Reflex is active, correct the Palmar.

But the body does not always work that simply.

Retained reflexes are not isolated events. They are part of a larger conversation happening between the brain, body, muscles, joints, cranial system, sensory system, and stress response. Before we ask the nervous system to let go of an old reflex pattern, we first have to ask a simple question: is the nervous system ready to receive the correction?

That is why the first step in this retained reflex correction journey begins with PYRT, Sphenopalatine, and Frontals. This first step is not about correcting one specific reflex. It is about preparing the nervous system so the deeper reflex work has a better chance to hold.

A Quick Reminder: What Are Retained Reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns that are present early in life. They help babies survive, feed, respond to stimulation, develop muscle tone, move, roll, crawl, stand, and eventually walk.

These reflexes are supposed to be present for a season. As the brain and nervous system mature, they should integrate into more advanced movement and postural patterns. When that integration does not fully happen, the reflex may remain active in the background. This is what we call a retained reflex.

Retained reflexes may affect posture, balance, coordination, focus, emotional regulation, behavior, muscle tone, eye movement, breathing, and stress responses. This is why retained reflex work is not just about movement. It is about the nervous system.

Why Preparation Matters

One of the biggest mistakes we can make with the body is assuming that every problem should be corrected directly and immediately. But the nervous system has layers.

If the system is disorganized, overstimulated, or stuck in protection, reflex corrections may not hold as well. The body may respond for a short time, but then fall back into the old pattern because it was not ready to maintain the change.

Before we ask the nervous system to update old reflex patterns, we want to reduce interference. We want the brain and body communicating clearly. We want the cranial system, sensory system, and muscle system to be more available for change.

In simple terms, before we ask the body to change, we want to make sure it can organize.

What Is PYRT in Applied Kinesiology?

In Applied Kinesiology, PYRT is used as part of a neurological assessment and correction process. It may be considered when the body appears to be stuck in a poorly organized pattern or when the nervous system is not adapting the way we would expect.

This is not just about one weak muscle or one tight joint. It is about the way the nervous system is organizing the whole body.

In an AK setting, manual muscle testing helps us ask questions of the nervous system. We are not simply asking, “Is this muscle strong?” We are asking, “Can the nervous system access this muscle appropriately?” “Can it maintain function under stress?” “Does the body stay organized when challenged?”

In the context of retained reflexes, this matters because reflexes are nervous system patterns. If the system is disorganized before we start, then the reflex work may be harder for the body to accept.

PYRT helps prepare the ground before we begin the deeper correction process.

Why the Sphenopalatine and Frontal Regions Matter

The sphenopalatine region is located deep within the facial and cranial system. Clinically, this area may relate to the face, nasal passages, sinus region, cranial system, sensory input, nasal breathing, and autonomic regulation.

The frontal bones make up the forehead region and the front part of the cranial system. This area may relate to the eyes, face, sinuses, jaw, neck, posture, and how the nervous system orients itself to the world.

This matters because retained reflexes are not just movement patterns. They are connected to sensory input, protection, stress, and survival. If the cranial and facial systems are under stress, the nervous system may be less prepared to relax old reflex patterns.

By addressing the sphenopalatine and frontal regions early, we are helping prepare the sensory and cranial systems for the work that comes next.

Symptoms That May Point to This Pattern

Because this first step is about neurological organization, symptoms may look different from person to person.

In children, this pattern may be associated with difficulty focusing, sensory overwhelm, emotional reactivity, poor eye tracking, trouble with reading, headaches, facial tension, mouth breathing, sinus pressure, poor coordination, or trouble calming down.

In adults, it may be associated with headaches, sinus pressure, facial tension, jaw tension, neck tension, eye fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, poor posture, difficulty relaxing, or symptoms that return even after good care.

These symptoms do not automatically mean someone needs this exact correction. They are simply clues that the nervous system, cranial system, and sensory system may need to be evaluated more closely.

How This Is Assessed Clinically

This type of work should always begin with assessment, not assumption. We are not trying to guess what the body needs. We are trying to listen to what the nervous system is showing us.

Clinically, this may include a health history, posture and movement observation, breathing observation, manual muscle testing, cranial and facial assessment, and primitive reflex screening.

The history gives us context. Posture and movement show us how the body is organizing itself. Manual muscle testing helps us see how the nervous system responds to specific challenges. Cranial and facial assessment helps us understand whether the sphenopalatine or frontal regions are involved. Primitive reflex screening helps us see what deeper reflex patterns may be active underneath.

The goal is not to treat a label. The goal is to understand how the nervous system is organizing the body.

Preparing the Body for What Comes Next

This first step teaches us something important about retained reflex work. We are not chasing symptoms. We are not forcing change. We are not trying to overpower the nervous system.

We are trying to create the conditions where the body can reorganize.

When the nervous system feels safer and more organized, it has more options. It does not have to rely as heavily on old protective patterns. It can begin to update the map.

That is why this first step matters. Before we move into the specific reflexes, we begin by preparing the system that has to integrate them.

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