It’s All About Balance - Understanding the Vestibular Sensory System
When it comes to the vestibular system - it’s all about maintaining balance, and how it works with the other systems in the body to make sure that we remain upright, or are able to track objects visually.
In this blog, we explore the vestibular sense - the last of the “hidden” senses. To read up more on the other hidden senses we have explored, click here and here.
What is the vestibular system?
The vestibular sensory system contributes to our ability to maintain balance and body posture. Located within the inner ear, the receptors of the vestibular system send signals to the brain via the vestibulocochlear nerve.
In addition to balance and posture, the system helps us sense a change in direction of movement, muscle tone, spatial orientation, alertness and eye movement.
The vestibular system works together with the other systems (especially visual, auditory and proprioception) to translate the information coming from our environment. This then helps the brain decide on the proper action for the body to take.
What happens when you have a poor vestibular sense?
When the vestibular system is not functioning properly, the brain could translate signals wrongly leading to children performing an inappropriate action, or they could be slow in responding to signals.
These are some of the behaviours that can indicate a poor vestibular sense:
The vestibular system is an important one to take note of especially when kids start going to school. It plays a huge role in attention and focus, because it helps with visual tracking, with staying still to sit at a desk. Fidget toys, active playtime and exercises to improve balance may help improve the vestibular system.
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