Jun 16 2008
Proprioception and Sensory Integration
Proprioception is the body’s way of understanding what it’s doing and where it is. It’s how the body knows the arm is indeed raised upward when trying to get the teacher’s attention. Aside from body positioning, it provides feedback about inner workings of the muscles (are they flexed or relaxed, stretching or contracting) and tendons. When the proprioceptive sensory system is out of balance, it can present in a variety of ways such as: clumsiness, seeking pressure (wrapping the body in tight materials), difficulty applying pressure or applying too much pressure (think handwriting), or constant movement. This list is not exhaustive, and the important thing to remember is that with proprioception, the body is seeking information about itself. Imagine what it might be like if you weren’t sure where the different parts of your body were or what they were doing at any given time.
I’ve had one such experience, and I’m sure it pales by comparison, but it’s as close as I can get. When I was in labor with Gus, I had an epidural (an anesthetic administered into the spine that numbed the lower half of my body). I was able to withstand the contractions because I could not feel a blessed thing. At one point, as my husband was eating a meatball hero and my sister-in-law was chatting with me, my leg suddenly kicked up in the air and then slammed back to the bed. It was one of the freakiest things to ever happen in my body and was amusing and disconcerting at once. I could be amused because I was aware of the cause, but if it had just happened randomly I think I would have been upset. Now if I had been a child and my body seemed to be just doing its own thing, not listening to me, and was creating no limit of confusion for me, I think I would have been a bit distressed.
Gus has some proprioceptive issues so I keep things at home to help him. We have some heavy exercise mats (not the sticky kind like yoga mats, but heavy foam) that he likes to either roll himself up in (squeezing sensation) or sandwiches himself between. In his room we have a bean-bag chair, which is often useful when he’s out of sorts. We’ve got a small trampoline (although he still prefers jumping on the sofa) and I regularly use the Wilbarger brushing/joint compression protocol several times a day. While he still has difficulty in this area, I can say that his body had adapted and learned to cope. Does he still race through the house crashing into things? Yes. But with the right tools, sometimes, he’ll just roll himself into the exercise mats like a big hot dog. And one day, I just know he’ll stop hanging from the curtains. What do you mean that’s just a boy thing and will only get worse???
