XPAND HEALTH September/October 2013 Newsletter Proprioception What is Proprioception? Taken as a whole, proprioception includes balance, coordination and agility because the bodys proprioceptors control all these factors. Proprioceptors consist of both sensory and motor nerves that send and receive impulses to and from the central nervous system from stimuli within the skin, muscles, joints and tendons. Proprioception is the bodys ability to transmit a sense of position, analyze that information and react (consciously or unconsciously) to the stimulation with the proper movement. The brain responds by signalling to muscles to contract or relax in order to produce the desired movement. Proprioception allows you to scratch your head without looking in the mirror or walk up a flight of stairs without having to peer at each stair. Following injury to joints and ligaments the receptors are also damaged, which means the information that is usually sent to the brain is impaired. As a consequence the joint feels odd or just doesnt feel right. What are the Benefits? By improving their proprioception, clients can gain the balance skills necessary to maintain stability; hone their agility so they can quickly change direction when necessary; and fine-tune coordination skills so they can perform physical activities accurately and consistently. Proprioception exercises reduce the risk of injury by teaching the body to react appropriately to sudden changes in the environment. A good sense of proprioception is vital for many fitness activities, especially some of the more advanced core-training classes currently attracting large numbers of clients. Once a joint has been damaged, or a ligament has been torn or partially torn, there will be a deficit in the proprioceptive ability of the individual. This can leave the person prone to re-injury, or decrease their coordination during sport. Proprioceptive ability can be trained through specific exercises and, in the case of the injured athlete, the improvement can compensate for the loss caused by injury. This has the effect of decreasing the chances of re-injury. Proprioception also helps speed an athletes return to competition following injury. The exercises should be initiated as soon as possible following injury. Equipment More equipment designed to improve proprioception is on the market today than ever before. There are balance boards, stability trainers, Bongo Boards and BOSU Balance Trainers, just to name a few. Fitness professionals have only to do a quick search on the Internet to find the wide array of products available from various companies. However, the most important piece of equipment you need to train proprioception is something you already have: the floor. When starting proprioception training, all clients should begin on a solid, flat surface. Any floor surface will work; just make sure each client has plenty of room to move about freely. To learn more about proprioception, please contact our Human Performance Specialist Steve Madama or Sports Therapist Heike Fallon.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Oct 2013 16:53:19 +0000
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