By Dr Karli Plowright
(Family Wellness Chiropractor + Exercise Scientist)
Nomad Chiropractic Mosman)
Balance / Proprioception — how this is associated with chiropractic
The body's ability to perform movements relies on balance and proprioception.
SELF TEST!
If you want to test you own balance and proprioception, give the below test a go;
Single leg balancing.
Which leg do you choose to stand on first?
Do you wobble side to side, or even back and forth?
Do your arms have to come out to support the body?
How long can you hold this for?
What is Proprioception?
This refers to the body's ability to sense movement within joints and joint position, therefore has an effect on balance. This allows us to know where our arms and legs are without having to look and such allows our movement to be smooth and coordinated. So as you can imagine, this is super important in all daily activities - especially during our kids growing and playing sports or our loved ones later in life when balance and coordination may become more of an issue.
If there is injury or damage to the proprioceptors in the joints this can further lead to poor posture and instability in joints. This is when people may notice changes or problems in their balance, whether this is standing on one leg, walking, surfing or in yoga.
Why does this concern me as a Chiropractor?
The proprioceptive system is made up of receptor nerves which are found in all your muscles, ligaments and joints. These receptor nerves communicate with your brain and this is when the brain can respond by telling muscles to contract or relax to produce a certain movement. This is all involuntary, so you don’t actually know it is going on.
If you have rolled your ankle, do you notice you find it harder to work out where your foot is initially when running, walking or even balancing or even eventually roll your ankle again? Research has shown that people are more likely to roll an ankle again post ankle injury due to poor proprioception within the joint.
If the joints or proprioceptors within the joints are injured or damaged it can cause poor motor control, which is likely to lead to further dysfunction or injury. As your Mosman Chiropractor my goal is to get the joints proprioception back to full function. By increasing proprioception feedback to the brain through adjustments, your body may be likely to respond faster from falls and overall improve your balance; and get you back to doing all the things you love doing.
Are you clumsy? Do you trip over frequently? Or just aware your balance should be better than it is? Why don’t you come and get your spine and joints checked to see if chiropractic care might be able to help you.
Questions? Get in touch!
Till next time,
Chiro Karli :)
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Book in online with your Mosman Chiropractors Lucy Bartlett, Olly Kerr, Kristin Webb and Sandy Ghobrial at www.nomadchiropractic.com.au
Located at: Suite 1, 563 Military Road Mosman NSW 2088 Rear entry
Ph 0491 064 117
www.nomadchiropractic.com.au
For More Information head to: www.nomadchiropractic.com.au/chiro-research
*Note: Karli Plowright moved back to WA in December 2022 and as such is no longer a practitioner at Nomad Chiropractic in Mosman. All of the practitioners at Nomad Chiropractic are trained in the above.