But there is a "6th sense" that is equally important, and the term I use for that is PROPRIOCEPTION. Proprioception (also called Kinesthesia) is the sense of self-movement, force, and body position. Think of being able to stand up, close your eyes, being able to keep your balance while touching your fingers to your nose. (No! We're not talking about a sobriety test!) If need be, you can walk with your eyes closed, (although I don't recommend it) while keeping your balance and adapting to the variations of the terrain beneath our feet.

This is all due to the function of our nervous system. We have thousands and thousands of these nerve endings throughout our muscles, tendons and joints, call MECHANORECEPTORS. I call them little antenna. They are constantly sending messages to our brain regarding our body's movement and positioning and our brain responds with a message to our muscles to adapt appropriately to the load and demands required for that immediate task. 

Think of the skilled athletic events that we can watch on television. A gymnast on a balance beam, a diver off a 10 meter platform, or an NFL receiver making an acrobatic catch. All of these require highly tuned proprioceptive function. 

But what about everyday life. Getting in and out of your car, stepping off the curb during a walk, or bending over to pick up your child or grandchild. That proprioception allows us to perform those tasks without much of a thought. 

However, this basic process can be compromised if our nervous system is not functioning properly. Misalignments in our spine can put an abnormal stress or pressure on our nervous system, interfering with those millions of messages constantly going back and forth between our body and our brain. This can be disruptive to basic functions such as walking, bending forward to pick things up, turning around, and so on. In turn, it can limit what we choose and need to do. It may also put a person at risk of falling, with sometimes catastrophic results. As I often say, misalignments, or SUBLUXATIONS, as we refer to them, can make our world smaller. 

This is why it is important to have your spine checked on a regular basis. Subluxations are not always necessarily painful, but they certainly can affect various functions of your body. So whether you're a professional athlete or just getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, we all depend on this "6th SENSE" to get us through our daily tasks. And keeping your spine subluxation free is one of the most important things that you can do to preserve your health.

If you would like to know more about moving and healing for optimal living call Dr Eric Sense at Villa Park Chiropractic today at 714-998-2296