The Proprioceptive Sense? Do I Have One?

Most people don’t know they have a proprioceptive sense. The proprioceptive sense is the awareness of posture, movement and resistance. It’s how we know where our body parts are when we aren’t looking at them. The proprioceptive sense is the awareness of posture, movement and resistance. It’s how we know where our body parts are when we aren’t looking at them. Proprioception involves the joints, muscles, ligaments and connective tissue. Most of the time we are unaware of our body’s position — usually our focus is elsewhere. We don’t need to think about our body position. The proprioceptive sense takes care of that for us when it functions properly. 

You have probably seen someone with poor body awareness/position. Their bodies are all over the place — arms and legs everywhere, seemingly very clumsy. They may fall often, have difficulty balancing, and be uncoordinated. They may lean or sometimes even crash into objects. A person with poor proprioception might move slowly because they are unsure where/how to move their body for the desired movement, whether that’s standing, walking, or even sitting. Everyday life can be a struggle for someone without a good proprioceptive sense. It takes concentration and effort for someone who has little body awareness. Poor proprioception is not limited to gross motor skills either. People can also struggle with low awareness in their fingers. Daily living skills like holding utensils, writing, brushing teeth, preparing food, etc. can prove to be challenging tasks for someone who can’t discern where their body parts are.