Proprioception refers to the sense or perception of your body position and movement. It’s your subconscious ability to know where your body is without touching or seeing it. This sense is gained primarily from your joints’ sensory nerve input and input from your brain’s vestibular (balance) portion.
So why is proprioception so important? This extraordinary ability allows our bodies to respond immediately to our environment and take in and process information. It is how our body processes and integrates sensory input from external forces. What does that mean?
Think about:
- playing sports where you have to decide how far to kick a ball,
- having to catch yourself when loose gravel suddenly moves under your feet,
- thinking ahead to understand the consequences of your actions,
- catching your baby before they roll off the couch,
- avoiding a car accident when another driver cuts you off,
- understanding what the teacher is lecturing in class, or
- building a strategy for a business plan
Proprioception works through your nervous system. But if you have a Neuro-Structural shift (nerve interference), this compromises the information from your body to the brain and back to the body. Think about it like a phone line with static. Information is coming in, but not clearly, so your brain can’t entirely communicate with your organs like your heart, or your coordination might be a little slow. The good news is there has been a plethora of research showing that chiropractic adjustments improve how your brain processes information, especially in your prefrontal cortex.
Neuro-Structural chiropractic adjustments are like taking the static out of the phone line, so your body and brain can communicate more clearly. This way, your brain can better perceive your body and your external and internal environment to coordinate the appropriate responses to keep you safe and healthy.
Who do you know that could benefit from better cognitive ability, a more effortless ability to learn, or better balance and coordination?
Want to learn more about how brain development is affected by chiropractic care? Check out this article that goes over a wealth of research presented by Dr. Monika Buerger.