!Smooth Muscle

!!Anatomy
Smooth muscle is fundamentally different from ((Musculoskeletal - Skeletal Muscles|skeletal muscle)) and ((Circulatory - Myocardium - Ventricles|cardiac muscle)) in terms of structure, function and regulation:
Smooth muscle stimulation is __involuntary__ (by either the autonomous ((Nervous - System Overview|nerve system)), ((Endocrine - System Overview|hormones)), or intramuscular via gap junctions).
It is the typical form of organ muscle that provides __constrictability__ in ((Circulatory - Arteries|blood)) and ((Circulatory - Lymph-Vessels|lymph vessels)), __peristalsis__ in the ((Digestive - Intestine Smooth Muscle|digestive tract)), and the contractions in ((Urinary - Bladder muscle and Sphincters|urinary bladder)) and ((Reproductive - Uterus - Myometrium|uterus)). There are smooth muscle cells in all __organ walls__, even in the ((Integumentary - Skin - Dermis (Leather Skin)|skin)) (arrector pili) and the ((Musculoskeletal - Muscle Fascia|mucle fascia ))(myofibroblasts). Special smooth muscles are the __inner sphincters__ of the ((Urinary - Bladder muscle and Sphincters|bladder)) and the ((Digestive - Anal Sphincter Muscles |anus)), the ciliary and the ((Sensory - Eyes - Iris|iris)) muscles of the eye. Even the ((Urinary - Kidneys - Parenchyma|glomeruli)) of the kidneys contain smooth muscle-like cells (mesangial cells).

Smooth muscle is capable of __long-term contraction without tiring__. It can also expand while keeping tonus. For maintaining elasticity, tissue with smooth muscle cells needs to be stretched regularly. Smooth muscle cells secrete extracellular matrix containing collagen, elastin and glycoproteins, which promotes viscoelasticity of the tissue, like enabling the windkessel function of the big arteries for to even out the blood flow. 
So, smooth muscle helps to execute the functions of the respective organ tissues. 

The smooth muscles are of mesodermal origin with "Old Brain" reaction patterns - that means that the stress reaction is a functional increase and strengthening, and that this __strengthening may prevail__ in and after the regeneration phase. Their relays are in the midbrain on the border between brain stem and cerebral medulla.

{img fileId="199" thumb="box"}Actin and myosin filaments contracting in smooth muscle fibre

{img fileId="204" thumb="box"}Gut wall components

graphic source: wikipedia

!!Brain
{img fileId="202" thumb="box"}
The midbrain (mesencephalon) belongs to the brain stem's upper part.

!!!Relay
__Midbrain__ (+/-) 
{img fileId="227" thumb="box"}graphic: Kevin Dufendach, compare __Brain Stem__
{img fileId="190" thumb="box"}

!!Mind
!!!Theme
*Propulsing or retaining and processing a chunk or information.
*Protective function with help of contraction

!!!Emotions and Thoughts
__Attention, Fear, held-back Aggression__
*I´m getting nowhere with this. 
*I´m stuck. I can´t work it out. 
*I need to do something!
*I need to endure that.
*I need to keep still.

!!!META-Meaning
*All that I´m taking in, I can digest and forward automatically and fluently.
*I move through any situation with ease and grace.

!!Organ
Side dominance is irrelevant for analysis.

!!!Stress Phase Symptoms
Functional increase of the type that is needed in the moment of stress:
*__Vessel- and organ wall muscle__: local increase of tonus or peristalsis to hold, process or forward the "chunk". Emergency intoxication program: vomiting reflex or diarrhea.
*__Sphincters__: holding back a "chunk"
*__Erector pili__: goose pimples, ruffled hair for defense
*__Muscle fascia__: Tonus increase for protection through muscles
*__Ciliary muscle__: accomodation to the desired focus
*__Dilatation of the pupil__: Capturing or avoiding light / visual information by tonus increase of the respective muscle.
In prolonged or recurring stress phases, tissue reinforcement can grow in form of leiomyoma or "fibroids".

!!!Regeneration Phase Symptoms
Slow normalization of tonus, fluctuations are possible with i e increased peristalsis. The proliferation may also remain after regeneration.

!!!Biological Meaning
See stress phase

!!Social
!!!Examples
*The client has indigestion problems since 20 years, constipation and diarrhea. She can't let go of the anger towards her mother who had impeded her wish to study and become a chef. When processing and forgiving, her stomach gurgles and the feeling gets all warm. After that, her digestion improves gradually and her energy is high. (Killoran, MHU archive)
*The client has difficulty swallowing and avoids eating in public. She finds out that she could not swallow her belief that she would not be able to have children. Seeing mothers and babies is a stress trigger for her. Behind that is the fear to be abandoned. After reframing she perceives her "spiritual family", and the symptom improves gradually. (Gedye, MHU archive)
*Often, the accomodation capacity of the visual lens decreases with age. Accomodation is a function of the ciliary muscle. Is becomes impossible to see clearly in very near distances. This reflects the strategy of not having to care for all small details.
*When hearing the noise of styrofoam or chalk squeeching (stress trigger), many people react with goose pimples. 

!!Additional Information
!!!Constellations
__Brain Stem Constellation__ possible: perplex, stunned, reduced movement. Purpose: new orientation.

!!!Differential Diagnosis
__((Nervous - Motoric Innervation|Motoric Innervation))__ (Cerebral Cortex, -/+) Stress phase (inability to act): weakening and paralysis of the motion impulse; Regeneration phase: gradually returning function; Healing Peak: muscle spasms

__((Musculoskeletal - Skeletal Muscles|Skeletal Muscles))__ (Cerebral Medulla, -/+) with weakness and possibly necrosis in stress phase (self-devaluation), inflammation and pain in regeneration phase, spasms in healing peak and strengthened tissue after finished regeneration.

__((Organ Walls - Submucosa Layer|Submucosa /Connective tissue layer)), blood and lymph vessels__ (Cerebral Medulla -/+) can react together with mucosa or muscle layer. Symptoms and diagnoses in regeneration phase may be lymphoma, inflammatory fibroid polyps, perineurioma and leiomyoma.
