Why is sensory input so important for the brain?
Sensory input (touch, taste, smell, sight, sound, gravity, pressure, etc.) is an important chunk of information the brain uses to decide if it’s safe or unsafe.
If your brain has a fuzzy map of where your feet are, it will make you take smaller steps because that is safer.
If the brain is not sure where the ground is or has an unclear sense of what gravity is doing to your body, it will feel unsafe and lead to the negative outputs we talked about yesterday.
When I was in college I sprained my right foot. It altered the way I walk because I had to compensate for the pain. Still today my right foot is less sensitive than my left. This deficit means that the information that my brain gets from my right foot is fuzzy. The map of where my brain thinks my foot is in space isn’t clear. I’ve been working on my feet with sensory stimulus and other drills and my balance has improved dramatically.
These are some of the same drills I used to get me back on a horse after 3 years. I’d had chronic back pain for a couple of years before I got bucked off but was in so much pain that my body quit sneezing for 2 years. (Pain is protective, remember!)
After working with my coach for 4 sessions and practicing my drills, I experienced my first pain-free day in years. Within 4 months, I had no pain at all and I continue to remain pain-free over a year later. I move better than I did 10 years ago (no stiffness!) and I have more confidence around my horses and in my body.
All because I gave my system clear input so it could adjust how it was “seeing.”
I invite you to try out yesterday’s exercise. It’s simple and gentle and anyone can do it. I provided videos to show you how.
Working on the feet is not just for foot problems.
The nervous system touches ALL other systems and has a waterfall effect. Footwork has great implications for all kinds of body parts from your pelvic floor to the base of your skull. But for now, I’m curious if you practice the exercise 3-4 times per day what else becomes available to you? What else do you start noticing?
Here’s to playing with your nervous system and helping it heal.
