Myotonometry: A Method for Estimating Tenseness and Anxiety by Measuring Muscle Hardness

Abstract

A method is described for estimating tenseness and the underlying anxiety which tenseness may be presumed to connote. The instrument, the myotonometer, measures directly the hardness of muscles. The data from the myotonometer are different from those yielded by the electromyograph in that the actual state of the muscles is measured and not the electrical activity at the motor end plates. Additional exploration of the method is suggested. The method appears to be a promising means of evaluating physiological and psychotherapeutic processes and outcomes.