With a history of ankle sprains over my tennis playing career from junior onwards I hesitantly embarked on the advice of a physiotherapist – “Start retraining your proprioceptors.”
“My what?” Disinclined as I was to start standing on one leg in the garden and have neighbours tut tutting “Oh look, he thinks he is a crane.” I can now attest to the remarkable success of the physiotherapist’s advice. So what are proprioceptors and how could they help your tennis game or just improve your structural alignment, balance, gait, in your daily life? Well, look to your proprioceptors.
Proprioceptors are referred to as the 'sixth sense', or 'third eye'. The proprioceptor sensory system - one of the most important neurological systems of the body, is how your brain and body communicate effortlessly. The proprioception sensory system indicates to the brain where various parts of the body are located in relation to each other. It's the sense that allows you to keep your eyes on the road while driving and knowing where your hands are on the steering wheel, as well as your foot on the accelerator.
It's also the sense that allows you to play tennis with all those vagaries of movement and the various demands on the upper and lower body As we change direction on the court, side step, back pedal, stretch for an overhead, or race to the net, we use these proprioceptors to help us keep our balance. Our sensory system is comprised of proprioreceptors in muscle tissue that monitor length, pressure, tension and noxious stimuli. Proprioceptors stimulate complex muscle spindles which then trigger a cascade of events that control fine body movements and coordination.
Our everyday tasks such as walking are amazingly complex. Within the second that it takes to take one step, the brain is recruiting and orchestrating many different subcomponents of the leg to contact the ground, transfer energy from heel to and back up through the hip. Why understanding proprioception is important: Proprioception plays an important role in keeping our bodies safe. It triggers the brain to send out immediate and unconscious adjustments to the muscles and joints in order to achieve movement and balance.
While most of us take this sixth sense for granted, recognizing the functions and potential limitations of proprioception can by the key to preventing injuries and living a longer, healthier life. Proprioceptors and the risk of injury: If your brain isn't adept at propriocepting, or your muscles are sluggish, you may fall and possibly get hurt.
If you're an athlete, the risk of injury increases as the length of playing time increases, as fatigue significantly decreases your ability to balance. All too commonly, a twisted ankle happens without any contact, but just by landing wrong from a lunge or stretch for a volley or overhead. The appropriate muscles were incapable of contributing to proper proprioception because of fatigue.
So how well are your proprioceptor senses functioning?
Try this: stand up, balance on one foot and close your eyes. If you must immediately put your foot down or hands out to prevent falling, then your proprioceptors are not functioning properly.
Retraining your proprioceptors - things to do:
(There are simple balancing exercises that might seem easy 'on paper', but most of us require practice and time to learn and regain excellent proprioception.)
Using a nearby support or rail to hang on to, stand and balance on one leg for a minute. Without practice, most will fail at this simple task! This is a result of weakened proprioception.
Get started on improving your proprioception by balancing on one foot. Begin with your shoes on and eyes open. As your balance starts to improve, close your eyes, (if you have trouble maintaining this posture for more than a few seconds with your eyes closed, do it in a doorway so you can reach out to prevent falling).
When you can balance easily for at least a minute, start doing the exercise with your shoes off. Again, build up with your eyes open and then closed. You can do this several times during the day. Because most people brush their teeth twice a day, this a great time to multitask and as you beush balance on one foot with your eyes closed (best ro do this when your partner is not watching in case they think you have suddenly gone doollay).
The next level is to stand on a soft foam pad and bounce a tennis ball on the ground or toss it against a wall and catch it.
As you continue to progress, use a BAPS board or balance board, which improve both your proprioception and your leg muscles' strength.
You can also incorporate proprioception exercises into your core strengthening programme.
Balance on one foot with the knee slightly bent, take a soccer ball or, if you are advanced enough, a small medicine ball, and move the ball in four directions: over each shoulder, down to the opposite foot and then side to side.At present I am injury-free and having convinced my neighbours that I have not morphed into a crane I am less self conscious when I stand on one leg in the back garden..
It really does work. Hope I have convinced you. Good luck.
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