Balance is complex coordination and a combination of multiple systems.
Proprioception (Joint position sense), the sense of the position and movement of our many, is a key component of balance. The joints in our neck are important to determine where our head and neck are in space in relation to our body.
After a concussion, the injury to the muscles and the joints may decrease a person’s proprioception. The mismatch of information between those receptors and your eyes and inner ear can result in dizziness. Abnormal signals can be directly from the neck, but can also alter eye and head movement.
We use the joint position error test to assess one’s proprioception (Joint position sense).
It is important to retrain cervical spine proprioception:
- improves dizziness
- improves neuromuscular control of the deep neck muscles
- Decreases neck pain
- Decreases perceived disability
