Clinical diagrams and descriptions of abdominal reflex examinations which we know as tummy tickling by grazing lightly

[natscott6282]

Timeline of Escalating Aversiveness During Persistent Cutaneous Stimulation​

Phase 1: Initial Contact (Seconds 0–2)​

Subjective experience

• Immediate awareness of sensitivity
• Ticklishness perceived as sharp or startling but still manageable

Urgency

• Low
• Strong desire for the stimulus to stop, but no panic

Observable responses

• Localized, phasic muscle contraction
• Brief directional movement toward stimulus
• Minimal whole-body involvement

Tolerability

• High
• Subject can remain still with effort

---

Phase 2: Early Escalation (Seconds 3–6)​

Subjective experience

• Ticklishness intensifies rapidly
• Sensation becomes intrusive rather than surprising

Urgency

• Moderate
• Clear internal pressure to escape or withdraw

Observable responses

• Increased amplitude of local contractions
• Segmental spreading (rippling or rolling activation)
• Facial tension, breath-holding, or brief vocalizations may begin

Tolerability

• Decreasing
• Voluntary suppression still possible but strained

---

Phase 3: Loss of Comfort Threshold (Seconds 7–12)​

Subjective experience

• Ticklishness described as overwhelming
• Cognitive focus narrows to stopping the sensation

Urgency

• High
• Strong urge to move, block, or disengage

Observable responses

• Oscillatory or repetitive muscle activation
• Diffuse abdominal wall involvement
• Involuntary trunk or limb micro-movements

Tolerability

• Low
• Suppression increasingly ineffective

---

Phase 4: Protective Reflex Dominance (Seconds 13–20)​

Subjective experience

• Sensation is no longer perceived as “ticklish” but as intolerable
• Sense of loss of control

Urgency

• Very high
• Escape becomes the dominant neural priority

Observable responses

• Global withdrawal patterns
• Sustained tonic contractions
• Difficulty remaining positioned

Tolerability

• Very low
• Examination quality severely compromised

---

Phase 5: Reflex Saturation / Breakdown (>20 seconds)​

Subjective experience

• Distress rather than sensory discrimination
• Heightened autonomic activation (panic-like response)

Urgency

• Maximal
• Immediate cessation required

Observable responses

• Chaotic or non-interpretable motor activity
• Full-body involvement possible

Tolerability

• Essentially absent
• Ethical and clinical need to stop

---

Key Clinical Insight​

Aversiveness increases non-linearly.
Small increases in duration or continuity of stimulation can produce disproportionately large increases in:

• perceived intensity,
• urgency to escape,
• involuntary motor output.

This is why short, well-spaced stimuli are emphasized in proper reflex testing.

---

Summary (Conceptual Curve)​

• Ticklishness: rises rapidly, then plateaus into distress
• Urgency: accelerates sharply once suppression fails
• Motor output: shifts from focal → diffuse → global
• Tolerability: drops precipitously after early seconds

 

[milagros317]

For those people who, like me, had never heard of an abdominal reflex examination:
https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mot...amination-of-reflexes-5-320.jpg?cb=1666007222

 

[piyr]

Brilliant! I don't know what you do for work but you definitely posses a high level of intellectual curiosity.
Also, nobody can complain that there's never anything new posted here!

 

[Ghostwriter727]

Me giving up and telling the clinician that he/she wins. Just take my wallet already!😂

Doctors get to have all the fun.🤙

 

[WickedTouch]

Alright, that's it... I'm never going to the doctor again! 🥺

 

[fgarvin6969]

I know I didn’t understand half the words but it’s still very flustering. And describes your exploits wonderfully…

 

[torturoustickle]

I love how there's a clinical explanation for what I call "driving someone to insanity". 😍

 

[natscott6282]

not everyone realizes just how ticklish their tummy rlly is, especially the specific spots that tend to house the most hyper ticklish hotspots, and especially to the grazing method of tickling

 

[A/S/H]

I really love that you went out of your way to write all of this. This is your best study yet. It's so exciting and horrible sounding at the same time

 

[LerLee]

After reading this I decided to tickle my wife’s tummy. I usually go for ribs, hipbones, underarms, feet, neck, butt, inner thighs… tummy is rather far down on the list. That being said, I had fun tickling her tummy. Guess I had forgotten how ticklish her tummy can be.

 

[torturoustickle]

not everyone realizes just how ticklish their tummy rlly is, especially the specific spots that tend to house the most hyper ticklish hotspots, and especially to the grazing method of tickling

I'm going to be far more attentive to that area from now on.
All in the name of experimental science of course. 😈😉

 

[fgarvin6969]

not everyone realizes just how ticklish their tummy rlly is, especially the specific spots that tend to house the most hyper ticklish hotspots, and especially to the grazing method of tickling

The grazing method is also so teasing and embarrassing for a guy. Making him frantic with just light fingernail grazing is chef kiss

 

[natscott6282]

more info

 

[natscott6282]

also here is a more specific list of the different types of motions you could observe-

​

1. Rippling
   
   • This movement is like a sequential wave traveling across the lower abdominal wall. Individual sections of muscle contract one after the other, creating a visible flow of motion along the soft lower abdomen, often from lateral side to side or along the rectus abdominis below the navel. The surface of the skin moves in small, connected rises and dips.
2. Quaking
   
   • Quaking consists of rapid, fine, and irregular tremors across the lower abdominal muscles. Unlike rippling, which is directional, quaking is more of a high-frequency shiver affecting the entire lower abdominal wall at once. It may look like the lower tummy is vibrating in place.
3. Waves / Undulations
   
   • Waves involve smooth, rolling contractions that move rhythmically across the lower abdomen. The motion can travel from the midline toward the lateral edges or vice versa. Undulations are larger in amplitude than ripples, creating a gentle rising and falling motion over the soft tissue.
4. Caving In / Concaving
   
   • This movement is characterized by a temporary inward depression of the lower abdominal wall. Specific spots of the soft tissue pull slightly inward, often near the lower lateral quadrants or just above the pelvic line, giving the impression of the belly “caving” before rebounding.
5. Pulsing / Throbbing
   
   • Localized, rhythmic expansions and contractions of small areas of the lower abdomen. Pulsing tends to occur in the more central lower regions, producing a steady “beat” of muscle activity that can be subtle but distinct. It may synchronize slightly with breathing patterns.
6. Shivering / Vibratory Tremor
   
   • Similar to quaking but more diffuse, shivering covers larger regions of the lower abdomen with rapid, small-amplitude contractions. The effect can resemble a very fine tremor over the entire lower abdominal wall.
7. Convulsions / Frantic Spasms
   
   • These are high-amplitude, rapid, and irregular contractions across multiple lower abdominal segments. Convulsions involve simultaneous firing of several muscles, often producing visible movement in the lower belly that seems almost chaotic or uncontrolled.
8. Localized Jerks
   
   • Small, abrupt, isolated contractions in one specific spot. These jerks are usually the first visible reaction to stimulation, preceding larger ripples or waves. They appear as sudden twitches confined to a tiny area of the lower abdominal wall.
9. Surface Rebound / Undershoot
   
   • After a contraction, the skin and soft tissue may quickly return or “bounce” back, creating alternating concave and convex shapes. This rebound effect often follows ripples or caving movements and adds an oscillatory component to the overall visible motion.

​

 

[LerLee]

Question for everyone.

Have you had this done at a doctor’s office? Did you start squirming and laughing?

I don’t recall ever having this done to me. However I have laughed when a female doctor gives me an abdominal exam. I remember one time she actually said, can you relax and stop moving and laughing?

 

[natscott6282]

also this is a diagram showing the specific regions on the various abdominal quadrants showing the pathways and contractions

 

[natscott6282]

also here are descriptions in order of intensity for the different types of muscular spasms u can see on the tummy when u do the fingernails grazing (if u do it methodically and concentrate on it )

• Localized tightening
  Small, brief contraction at the point of contact.
  → Indicates initial mechanoreceptor engagement.
• Flicker
  A quick, single contraction or twitch.
  → Often the first visible sign of ticklish sensitivity.
• Micro-ripple
  A short, shallow wave across a small area of soft tissue.
  → Suggests low threshold, but still under voluntary control.

• Quaking
  Repeated, fine contractions creating a trembling appearance.
  → Indicates reflex dominance beginning to outweigh voluntary control.
• Rippling
  Clear waves traveling across adjacent soft tissue areas.
  → Suggests coordinated muscle group involvement.
• Caving / drawing inward
  Localized inward pull of the abdominal wall.
  → Reflects activation of deeper stabilizing muscles.
• Undulation
  Continuous, rolling motion involving multiple muscle layers.
  → Indicates sustained reflex looping.

• Spillover contraction
  Visible reactions extending beyond the initially affected region.
  → Shows central nervous system amplification.

• Global engagement
  Large regions responding simultaneously.
  → At this point, terms describe extent, not quality.

 

[Ghostwriter727]

*Envisioning loud, and colorful reactions as your lee screams NO; NOT MY PELVIC DIP! ANYWHERE BUT THERE!"(Oh wait; I'm the lee) Whole lot of quaking.😂😂😂😂