The Real 6th Sense? Understanding Proprioception

We all know the five classic senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. But there’s a sixth sense that’s just as vital, even if we rarely think about it: proprioception.

Clickbait aside, in reality we actually have over 20 senses (maybe even over 30!). But that said, proprioception is absolutely one worth talking about.

Proprioception is your body’s ability to sense its own position, movement, and force without relying on vision. It’s what lets you:

• Walk without staring at your feet.

• Type without looking at the keyboard.

• Catch a ball without overreaching.

• Even scratch an itch on your back without missing.

Unlike vision or hearing, proprioception works subconsciously. You don’t actively notice it—until something goes wrong.

Try This Simple Test

Close your eyes and touch your nose with your finger. 

Easy, right? But how did your finger know where to go without vision?

That's proprioception at work!

In this article, we’ll explore:

1. What proprioception is and how it works.

2. What happens when it’s impaired (e.g., after stroke, MS, or Parkinson’s).

3. How physiotherapy can retrain proprioception to improve balance and coordination.

4. Practical exercises and tools (like PhysiKits) that help rebuild this crucial sense.

What Exactly is Proprioception?

Proprioception comes from Latin (proprius = "one’s own," ception = "perception"). It’s your brain’s way of tracking where your limbs are in space.

How Does It Work?

Special sensors in your muscles, tendons, and joints—called proprioceptors—send constant feedback to your brain. These include:

• Muscle spindles – Detect stretch and speed of movement.

• Golgi tendon organs – Sense muscle tension and force.

• Joint receptors – Tell your brain about joint angle and pressure.

This system works like an internal GPS, updating your brain milliseconds faster than vision. That’s why you can adjust your step mid-stride if you trip, even before you consciously notice the stumble.

Proprioception vs. Balance

Balance relies on three key systems:

1. Vision (eyes)

2. Vestibular system (inner ear), another special sense

3. Proprioception (muscles/joints)

If one fails, the others compensate. But when proprioception is impaired—common in neurological conditions—balance becomes much harder, even if vision and inner ear function are intact.

When Proprioception Fails: Causes and Symptoms

Proprioceptive dysfunction can arise from:

• Neurological conditions (stroke, MS, Parkinson’s, peripheral neuropathy).

• Injuries (ACL tears, ankle sprains, spinal cord damage).

• Aging (natural decline in sensory nerve function).

What Does It Feel Like?

People with impaired proprioception often:

• Struggle with balance (frequent falls, unsteady walking).

• Misjudge movements (overreaching, spilling drinks, knocking things over).

• Have "clumsy" coordination (difficulty with fine motor tasks like buttoning a shirt).

• Rely heavily on vision (e.g., needing to watch their feet while walking).

Real-Life Example: The Man Who Lost His Sixth Sense

In 1971, a man named Ian Waterman lost his proprioception due to a rare nerve disorder. Overnight, he couldn’t move unless he watched his limbs. Without constant visual feedback, his body would collapse. It's a fascinating but tragic story, and something many reading this post may deeply relate to.

His case shows how essential proprioception is—and how much the brain relies on it for smooth, automatic movement.

Can You Improve Proprioception? (Spoiler: Yes!)

The good news? Proprioception can be retrained. A 2015 review in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (Aman et al., 2015) analysed 51 studies and found that targeted exercises can improve proprioceptive function by 52% on average.

Key Physiotherapy Approaches

1. Active Movement & Balance Training

• What it does: Forces the brain to recalibrate joint positioning.

• Examples:

  • Single-leg stands (eyes open → eyes closed).

  • Heel-to-toe walking.

  • Wobble board or balance pad exercises.

• Evidence: In knee osteoarthritis patients, joint position sense improved by 48% after targeted training.

2. Somatosensory Stimulation (Vibration Therapy)

• What it does: "Wakes up" dormant sensory nerves using mechanical vibration.

• Examples:

  • Localised tendon vibration (e.g., applied to wrist or ankle).

  • Whole-body vibration platforms.

• Evidence: Stroke patients saw 109% better movement accuracy after vibration-assisted training.

3. Combined Multisensory Training

• What it does: Uses vision, touch, and proprioception together to reinforce learning.

• Examples:

  • Mirror therapy (for stroke rehab).

  • Obstacle courses with varying surfaces.

• Evidence: Parkinson’s patients improved balance by 33% with combined vibration + exercise.

How PhysiKits Supports Proprioceptive Rehab

Proprioception might be the "invisible" sense, but its impact is huge. Whether you’re:

• Recovering from a stroke.

• Managing MS or Parkinson’s.

• Just wanting to move more confidently as you age.

…retraining proprioception can make movement safer and more automatic.

At PhysiKits, we design evidence-based rehabilitation tools to help rebuild proprioception, especially for neurological conditions like:

• Multiple sclerosis (MS)

• Stroke and brain injury

• Parkinson’s disease

🔗 Want to learn more? Explore our Physikit courses for science-back tools to boost balance and coordination in your condition!

_References

_{Proske, U., & Gandevia, S. C. (2012). The proprioceptive senses: their roles in signaling body shape, body position and movement, and muscle force. Physiological reviews. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00048.2011}