Proprioception is a term corresponding to the deep sensitivity of each person. It makes it possible to perceive and feel the position of one’s body in space as a whole through number receptors in the muscles and joints.
What is proprioception?
Proprioception is the act of feel and consider the position of the different parts of his body through his muscles, his joints in space. “This is a concept that can be difficult to grasp, but proprioception allows you to know how the body is located in space by all receptors based on muscles and joints. The latter in connection with the brain will make it possible to better understand our body in space and during movement“, underlines Dr. Sylvain Ambry, doctor in physical medicine and rehabilitation (MPR).
Why work on your proprioception?
“Proprioception is extremely important to work on throughout life“. It will allow the child toimprove their ambulation and movement skills, in adults, especially the elderly, fight against loss of balance. Proprioception tends to deteriorate with certain pathologies.
What diseases affect proprioception?
Proprioception is undermined mainly by diseases of the nerve and more specifically peripheral nerve diseases. A stroke can have consequences on proprioception for example, but especially diseases affecting the peripheral nerve such as diabetes. “Diabetes will affect the small vessels and the nerves and thus the patient’s ability to feel what is happening at the level of their joints and at ground level. Their proprioception is then altered“, he specifies. All chronic diseases in general can therefore alter deep sensitivity. sports injuries can also alter the proprioception of the affected joint.
Proprioception can be worked on by doing balance exercises
Proprioception can be worked on in daily activities, throughout life and even more so when you have a chronic illness (diabetes, etc.). “It’s about prevention: every day, we can make exercises around balance on one foot, eyes closed, eyes open, on unstable supports (ball or cushion), on different surfaces (moss) or different structures (earthy ground)“.Proprioception can also be working in sports clubs or gyms or at the physiotherapist in the event of pathologies. “The physiotherapist is the first point of contact for physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors to rework proprioception. It is quite possible to have lost the proprioception receptors as part of a sprained ankle or physical trauma. It is therefore necessary in these cases to rework them to recreate parallel systems to promote brain and nerve plasticity. It would be equivalent to making small roads when the highway is broken or repairing the highway“, notes Dr. Ambry.
Proprioception can be assessed using different methods: balance sheets can be performed either at the doctor’s or at the physiotherapist’s, at some podiatrists or even at the osteopath’s. The evaluations will be different depending on the pathology and can be performed standing or lying down : “we can do a neurological examination which will make it possible to observe the sense of position of an articulation. We ask the patient if he knows in which position his joint is, where his member is in space in relation to a reference frame: if he manages to catch his thumb, if he feels that his ankle is moving when handled, for example“. In sports medicine, certain proprioception tests will assess the patient’s speed of reactivity moving. Sometimes, we can also use technological tools such as force platforms or insoles connected with sensor.
Thank you to Dr. Sylvain Ambry, doctor of physical medicine and rehabilitation (MPR), sports doctor, at the hospital center of Libourne.