Proprioception

Proprioception refers to our body's ability to sense the position, location, orientation, and movement of muscles, joints and other tissues. Proprioception disorders occur when there is impairment in this feedback mechanism.

Some key points about proprioception disorders:

Can be caused by neurological conditions like stroke, paralysis, Parkinson's disease, or peripheral neuropathies that damage the neural pathways carrying positional/movement sensory signals to the brain.
Can also arise from musculoskeletal injuries like tears in ligaments or tendons, joint injuries that displace proprioceptive nerve endings, or limb amputations removing proprioceptor cells.
Impacts balance, coordination, and body awareness. Without accurate positional feedback, even routine activities like standing, walking, reaching for objects become difficult.
Those affected cannot properly sense the location of their body parts or how fast/the direction/extent to which they are moving without visual confirmation.
Symptoms may include clumsiness, stumbling frequently, unsteady gait, difficulty fully controlling limb movements, problems with driving/sports needing coordinated physical responses.
Treatment involves physical therapy providing external cues via touch, pressure to manually guide movements & rebuild neurological connections, plus balance training to promote new sensory input pathways.

Restoring proprioceptive signaling as much as possible is key to managing this sensory deficit that severely impacts motor control and risks of falls/accidents. Adaptive tools can also assist with positioning guidance.