Proprioception. A sixth sense?

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While most of us focus on the five main senses; touch, hearing, sight, smell, and taste, there are two other senses that are just as important but often overlooked. The vestibular sense helps us understand gravity and movement, while the proprioceptive sense is our body’s ability to sense its position, movement, and orientation in space. These two senses are crucial for our overall development.

What is Proprioception?

Proprioception is the sense that helps you know where your body is and how it’s moving in space without having to look. It involves receptors in your muscles, tendons, and joints that send signals to your brain. This allows you do daily activities like walk, type, or stand still without constantly watching your body.

For example, proprioception helps you walk without watching your feet, navigate through a dark room, and even chew food. These sensors in your body help you understand how your muscles and joints are working together, so you can move smoothly and coordinate your actions. Proprioception is super important for body awareness and spatial understanding.

Why Proprioception Matters for Kids

Physical Coordination: Proprioception is like the unsung hero of motor skills development. For kids, it helps them master movements like throwing a ball, riding a bike, or standing on one foot. When their proprioceptive skills are strong, their movements become smoother and more controlled.
Balance and Posture: Good proprioception is essential for keeping balance and maintaining good posture. It helps kids adjust their body to avoid falls and safely navigate uneven surfaces. This becomes especially important as they grow and become more active.
Spatial Awareness: Knowing where their body is in relation to their surroundings is key for kids. Proprioception helps them move confidently through space, whether they’re weaving through a crowded playground or manoeuvring around the house.
Fine Motor Skills: Proprioception also plays a big role in tasks that require careful movements, like writing, drawing, or buttoning a shirt. Kids use this sense to figure out how much pressure to use and how to position their hands correctly.
Emotional Regulation: Activities that involve proprioceptive input, such as jumping, climbing, or lifting weights, can help kids manage stress and keep their emotions in check. These activities release endorphins, which boost mood and overall well-being.

Proprioceptive Dysfunction

Kids with processing disorders often say they feel scattered or out of sync, which might be due to problems with their proprioceptive sense, or their understanding of where their body is in space. When kids are clumsy, uncoordinated, or always seeking sensory input, they might be dealing with proprioceptive issues. Here’s what to look out for:

Sensory Seeking Behaviours: They might push things around, write really hard, play rough, shake their feet while sitting, chew on things, bite, or prefer wearing tight clothes.
Motor Planning and Body Awareness: They could have trouble with tasks like climbing stairs, bumping into people and objects a lot, or struggle with riding a bike.
Postural Control: They might slump in their chair, have trouble standing on one foot, or need to rest their head on the desk while working.

To help themselves feel better, these kids might toe walk, crash into things, run around, or flap their hands. Studies show that if kids have trouble with proprioception, it can affect their motor skills and balance, leading to behaviours that might disrupt their daily activities.

How to Support Proprioceptive Development

Helping kids develop their proprioceptive sense doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some easy and fun ways to boost this important skill:

Active Play: Get kids jumping, climbing, and swinging. Set up obstacle courses, let them bounce on trampolines, or play on monkey bars. These activities are great for giving them proprioceptive input.
Push and Pull: Engage them in games or tasks that involve pushing or pulling. Try using a sled, moving furniture, or playing with resistance bands.
Heavy Work: Activities like carrying groceries, lifting age-appropriate weights, or pushing a loaded shopping trolley are great for providing proprioceptive feedback and building strength.
Balancing Acts: Practice balance exercises such as walking on a balance beam, standing on one foot, or playing balance games. These help with coordination and spatial awareness.
Sensory Play: Use different textures and resistance in play; playdough, sand, or finger paints. These activities give extra proprioceptive input and are loads of fun.
Interactive Games: Play board games or engage in activities that involve physical movement, like dancing or hopping games. These can be both fun and beneficial.
Compression: Provide opportunities for kids to experience deep pressure input. Activities such as bear hugs, rolling on a therapy ball, or using weighted blankets can be beneficial. Compression helps children become more aware of their body in space and can also be calming.
Chewing: Incorporate chewy foods or chew toys into daily routines. Chewing gum, crunchy vegetables, or specially designed chewable items can provide proprioceptive feedback through the jaw, which supports overall sensory processing.
Verbal Cueing: Use clear, consistent verbal instructions to guide physical activities. For example, when playing balance games, give prompts like “stretch your arms out” or “feel the ground under your feet.” This helps kids focus on their body movements and spatial orientation.

Proprioception is key to kids’ physical and sensory development. By supporting this sense through active and engaging play, you’re helping them build better coordination, balance, and confidence.

If you have concerns about your child’s proprioceptive function or development, our therapists at Strong and Courageous are here to help. We’re committed to supporting your child’s journey every step of the way.