Sports Medicine: Balance, Proprioception, and Coordination Vocabulary

Comprehensive question-and-answer flashcards covering key sports medicine concepts, sensory systems, and terminology related to balance, proprioception, and coordination.

What is balance?

The ability to maintain or regain control of the body’s position while still or moving.

What is static balance, and what is an example of it?

The ability to maintain a stable body position while staying in one place, such as standing on one foot.

What is dynamic balance, and what are examples of it?

The ability to maintain or regain a stable body position during movement, such as walking or landing from a jump.

How is postural control defined?

The nervous system’s control of body alignment and balance during stillness and movement.

What is stability?

The ability to resist a disturbance or return to a controlled position after being disturbed.

What is the base of support, and how does its size affect balance?

The area beneath the body formed by all points of contact with a supporting surface and the space between them. A wider base usually makes balance easier.

What is the center of mass, and how does its location change?

The point representing the average location of the body’s mass. Its location changes as body position changes.

What is postural sway?

The small, ongoing movements of the body that occur while maintaining an upright position. Some sway is normal.

What is proprioception?

The sense of the position and movement of body parts, based on information from receptors in muscles, tendons, joints, and skin.

What is kinesthesia?

The sense of body movement, including the direction and speed of a moving body part. It is commonly considered part of proprioception.

What is kinesthetic awareness?

The conscious awareness of how the body is positioned and moving during an activity. This term often overlaps with kinesthesia.

What is joint position sense?

The ability to recognize a joint’s position or angle without looking at it. It is one part of proprioception.

What is a proprioceptor, and what are two specific examples?

A sensory receptor that provides information about body position, movement, or muscle tension. Examples include muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs.

What is coordination?

The ability to organize muscle actions with appropriate timing, direction, and force to perform a smooth, accurate movement.

What is motor control?

The processes by which the nervous system plans, starts, directs, and adjusts movement.

What is neuromuscular control?

The nervous system’s activation and coordination of muscles to control movement and maintain joint stability.

What is reaction time, and what is an example of it?

The time between detecting a stimulus and beginning a response, such as starting to move after hearing a whistle.

What is functional movement, and what are examples of tasks that use it?

A movement used to complete a meaningful task in daily life or sport, such as squatting, reaching, stepping, or lifting.

What is movement compensation?

An alternative movement strategy used when the intended movement is difficult or limited. It may involve another body part doing extra work.

How is symmetry defined?

Similarity between the two sides of the body in a feature such as position, movement, strength, or range of motion.

What is asymmetry, and does it indicate an injury?

A difference between the two sides of the body in a feature such as position, movement, strength, or range of motion. A difference does not automatically mean injury.

What is the visual system and its function in balance and movement?

The eyes and related nervous system pathways that provide information about the environment and the body’s position and movement relative to it.

What is the vestibular system, and what does it help maintain?

The sensory structures in the inner ear and their nervous system connections that detect head motion and orientation relative to gravity. They help maintain balance and steady vision.

What is the somatosensory system?

The sensory system that gathers information from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints about touch, pressure, vibration, pain, temperature, and body position.

What is sensory input?

Information sent from sensory receptors to the nervous system about conditions inside or outside the body.

What is motor output?

Signals sent from the nervous system to muscles to produce or adjust muscle activity.

What is sensorimotor control, and what is an example of it in action?

The use of sensory information to guide and adjust motor responses, such as correcting body position after a loss of balance.

What is the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and what are its functions?

The nerves and ganglia outside the brain and spinal cord. It carries sensory information to the central nervous system and motor commands to the body.

What is equilibrium, and when does mechanical equilibrium occur in body mechanics?

A balanced state in which opposing forces are balanced. In body mechanics, mechanical equilibrium occurs when there is no net force or turning effect causing acceleration.

What is the kinetic chain?

The connected body segments and joints that work together during movement. Movement or force at one part can affect other parts.

What is the vestibular sense?

The sense of head motion and orientation relative to gravity produced by the vestibular system. It contributes to balance and spatial orientation.