Waltman Sign

A normal Achilles reflex in the presence of hypothyroid symptoms points toward secondary causes — estrogen dominance, liver/gallbladder conversion failure, or selenium deficiency — rather than primary thyroid failure. The Waltman Sign is described as the most clinically reliable home test for true primary hypothyroidism. Bilateral slow Achilles rebound is a meaningful finding that correlates with primary hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism slows the nervous system's ability to signal muscle relaxation, causing the return phase of the Achilles reflex to become sluggish while the contraction remains normal.