What does tonus refer to?

• A. Tonus
• B. Relaxation Techniques
• C. Referral area
• D. Zones

Answer: (A)

Tonus refers to the baseline muscle tension—the slight, continuous contraction that keeps muscles ready and helps maintain posture. It’s the level of tension your muscles hold at rest, reflecting the nervous system’s balance between readiness and relaxation. In reflexology, understanding tonus helps you gauge how tense or relaxed tissues are and how nerve activity or energy flow may be influencing that muscle tone. When tonus is higher than normal, muscles are stiff or resistant; when it’s lower, muscles may feel weak or floppy. This concept is different from relaxation techniques, which are deliberate methods to reduce tension, and from referral areas or zones, which describe mapping concepts rather than the state of muscle tone.