Why Use Balance Exercises?
The use of balance exercises can improve joint stability and overall strength in joints that have been injured. Joint stability occurs when the nerve cells within the joint are healthy. These nerve cells, called proprioceptors, help you maintain balance during various forms of movement. When you injure the nerve cells, such as with a sprain, you must retrain the nerve pathways to recognize the position of the joint. Proprioception is the body’s ability to know where your body is in space (“position sense”). For instance, if you close your eyes and move your arm around, you stimulate the proprioceptors in the shoulder and your brain knows where your arm is in space, even though you can’t see it. What Happens When Proprioceptors are Damaged? If your shoulder proprioceptive cells were damaged and were unable to send the proper nerve signal to the brain, you would not know if your arm was in front of you or behind you. Long term function of the shoulder is in peril if the proprioceptors ar
