Featuring Matthew Powell, MCPA, FCAMT, CGIMS, Physiotherapist Physiotherapy and Proprioception Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds

Proprioception is the body’s joint position sense. It depends on getting information from the joints and their ligaments and from muscle endings. And when it works well, that information is used to sustain posture, and make normal movement entirely subconscious. With joint damage, however – particularly to the ligaments, the proprioceptive sense can break down.

And a good example of this is when there is an ankle sprain. With an ankle sprain, it’s not uncommon to have people complain that they’re nervous about walking over rough ground. Simply because the joint sense is not coming from their ankle and they don’t know how their ankle is going to behave.

The good news is that through exercise the joint perception sense, or proprioception, can be improved. And one of the ways that a physiotherapist will advise people on in improving proprioception is to use a wobble board.

A physiotherapist can teach you a range of exercises that will gradually challenge your balance in ways that the proprioception can be restored. And that way, a damaged ankle that feels untrustworthy can be made strong again.

Presenter: Mr. Matthew Powell, Physiotherapist, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Physiotherapist