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These semicircular canals help us to remain oriented in space. The fluid moving about is detected by fine hair-like projections on the sensory cells lining the canal called stereocilia - like a wave would be detected by your leg in shallow ocean water. In these canals is fluid which sloshes about when we move our heads, change directions, bend over, etc. In our inner ear are the semi-circular canals, three on each side, which are oriented at ~90° to each other so we cover 3 dimensions. That's one of the reasons for falls in the elderly. We move tentatively.Īs people age, they lose some of their propioceptive abilities. Notice that once vision is blocked, our bodies become relatively very still we focus on our balance.
#Balance test eyes closed hands out knees up walking skin#
Because we live on a planet with gravity, even if we are blindfolded, if we are standing correctly, our feet will sent our brain signals that will in turn allow the brain to judge our position in space with regard to gravity and we will keep our feet firmly planted on the ground in a way which will maintain us upright in a constantly regulated position (if we sense less pressure from the bottom of our right great toe, we will adjust by leaning forward and to the right a bit until out=r brain says, "ok, right there!" This happens from all the skin and joint proprioceptors responding at the same time. In your joints, muscles, tendons, skin, and other areas, you have proprioceptors, that tell your brain where yoor aody parts (arms, legs, etc) are in relation to self in space.
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So, if the other systems involved in balance are off even a bit, blindfolding someone will interfere with their ability to keep their balance, even on two legs, let alone one. Very simply put, to blindfold someone is to take out the contribution of vision to balance. Your vision helps you see where your head and body are in relationship to the world around you and to sense motion between you and your environment.
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Balance is achieved and maintained by a complex set of sensorimotor control systems that include sensory input from vision (sight), proprioception (touch), and the vestibular system (motion, equilibrium, spatial orientation) integration of that sensory input and motor output to the eye and body muscles. Balance is tricky and depends on a lot of things, including, to some degree, your sight.