Proprioception is our body’s ability to sense and freely move within our external environment, without consciously thinking about it. Good proprioception is very important to the brain, as it plays a large role in self- regulation, co-ordination, balance, posture, body awareness and the ability to focus. It is the sense that lets us know where our different body parts are, how they move and how much strength our muscles need to use to accomplish a certain task. This body awareness is therefore important for day-to-day living and vital for sports performance.

The main purpose of our proprioceptors is to prevent injury and falls by increasing spatial awareness and balance. We receive proprioceptive input from specialized sensory receptors located on nerve endings in your muscles, tendons, joints, skin, and inner ear. These sensors deliver information relating to any deviations or changes in movement, position, tension, force, and environment to your brain.

If you can tell the difference between grass and cement on the bottom of your feet or notice as a bag gradually becomes heavier as you fill it with apples, you’ve experienced proprioception. You will experience proprioception if you go hiking on an offroad path and detect small changes, such as holes, bumps, or rocks, in the path. To prevent injury, your body will adjust, stabilizing your foot and ankle in response to the feedback picked up by your lower limb proprioceptors.

Our proprioceptive ability can be negatively affected by injury, age or disease and make simple daily tasks more difficult as well as increase the risk of injury or falls.

Proprioceptive training helps improve balance, allowing your body to stay upright and move while maintaining control in various environments. Proprioception is not the same as balance but rather a component of balance. Balance involves three sensory systems: the vestibular system (motion), vision (sight), and proprioception (touch).

There are many benefits to adding proprioceptive training exercises to your normal exercise routine. Some of the benefits of proprioceptive exercises are:

Reduced risk of injury
Improved fitness levels
Improved joint position
Increased joint stability
Reduced muscle compensation – muscles may become overactive if proprioception is decreased as they will compensation to stabilise the joint
Improved balance
Faster reaction time
Increased coordination and agility
Helps to improve your confidence in your joint and body’s ability
Improved overall mobility and performance

When we move, our muscles tighten or stretch. Our proprioceptive senses are one of the sensory modalities that allow us to know how much or how quickly our muscles are moving.

For example, when kicking a ball, children need developed proprioception to know how much to bend their knee and how quickly to move their leg. This is therefore an important skill to develop for when children start to play sports. It allows them to run at different paces without tripping over. When doing warm-ups and stretches, the proprioceptive sense can tell their body if they are overstretching.

Everyone has the skill. However, some are better at it, and this can have dramatic effects on sports performance, because it plays a critical role in controlling your joints and muscles during movement.

All sports involve movements in different planes of motion. With better balance and proprioception, you can keep control of your body by understanding where it is in space. This is important for virtually everything you do in sports or in the gym. Better proprioception allows for more efficient decelerations and changes in direction and for greater understanding of how your body is moving during an exercise, so you can perform it with perfect form. With better proprioception, you can perform the moves with more power and strength, because you won’t waste energy on unnecessary movements caused by being out of position. You will also have a smaller chance of injury. The most common form of balance and proprioception training is instability training.

Aging causes alterations in various body functions, such as motor, sensory, cognitive and psychosocial. One of the factors associated with aging is the decline in proprioceptive function, which has been associated with balance deficits.

Proprioceptive training is fundamental in the rehabilitation and prevention of injuries. With the loss of proprioception during aging, the biomechanics of joints and the neuromuscular control of the limbs may change, resulting in impaired balance and a higher possibility of falls. Appropriate and proper physical activity and proprioceptive training can slow the age-related decline and help maintain the best possible physical fitness. It encompasses exercises for stability and coordination, stimulates motor learning, helps in maintaining proper body posture and balance, and improves body control.

A proprioceptive exercise programme is a rehabilitation programme that can be designed by a Physiotherapist, where the exercises become more challenging as the proprioception improves. Some of the principles and exercises which are included in proprioceptive exercise programmes include:

Initial subjective and objective assessment Outcome measure – to monitor your progress
Exercises within the joint range of movement- within each individuals-controlled range
Exercises to improve muscle reaction time
Balance exercises • Strengthening exercises
Functional dynamic exercises- just into the range where control is maintained
Self-management strategies close to end stage rehabilitation

PROPRIOCEPTION

23.09.22

What is Proprioception & Why is it Important?

What are The Benefits of Proprioception Exercises?

Proprioceptive Development & Demands at Different Ages

Proprioception In Babies

Proprioception for Active/Sporting Children

Proprioception in Athletes

Proprioception in The Elderly

What do Proprioceptive Exercises include?

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