One of my favourite cartoon characters growing up was Goofy. He was a friend of Mickey Mouse, and a strange but lovable half-man-half-dog who thrived on slapstick comedy. I had a book about Goofy that taught me to tie my shoelaces, and, in the book, Goofy was continually tripping over his untied shoelaces. Now Goofy wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he did seem to have another problem – one with his proprioception.
Proprioception is your ability to pick up a glass of water and take a drink with your eyes shut. Your eyes don’t need to be open for your brain to know exactly where your hand is, and exactly where your mouth is. Proprioception involves every muscle, joint, tendon and ligament in your body feeding constant and reliable information to your brain.
A problem with proprioception can be a small thing, like spilling a little water from the glass, or a much bigger problem. Proprioception issues have been implicated in the risk of falls for the elderly, and in younger people it appears more obviously as a lack of coordination or being “accident prone”.
Proprioception is a key role of your nervous system that constantly relays and processes all information to and from your brain. Here at HealthGuard Wellness our Chiropractors can assess and help improve the function of your nervous system, which is why recent evidence has shown Chiropractic can improve proprioception and potentially reduce falls risk in elderly people.
To Your Best Health!
Dr Michael Osborne
He is generally not too “Goofy”!
Hobbies: I enjoy hiking, biking and kayaking with my family.
Favourite Movie: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Ultimate Holiday Destination: Europe – yes, the whole lot
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Or make chiropractic a part of your healthy lifestyle so you can continue living your healthiest life!
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This article references the following:
Holt et al; Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care to Improve Sensorimotor Function Associated With Falls Risk in Older People: A Randomized Controlled Trial; Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics; 2016; 39(4): 267-268