Vestibular Stimulation: Sliding Downhill with or without Snow

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The vestibular sensory system tells our body how to respond to the pull of gravity and movement of the head. It is also called the balance system. The therapeutic impact of movement varies depending on

  1. speed
  2. acceleration and deceleration
  3. inclines vs. flat surfaces
  4. position during movement… the sensory input is different while sitting vs. laying on a horse or sled.
  5. linear vs rotary movement – for example, sensory input is different while spinning vs. sledding down a hill

Vestibular stimulation is often naturally combined with proprioceptive (deep pressure to joints, muscles and tendons). The children shown below sliding down the hill using cardboard sleds are using force to move over the resistive snow. Gravity is helping, but snow and cardboard create friction. Using force creates proprioceptive stimulation while the movement stimulates the vestibular system inside the inner ear.

When I roller skate, the weight of the skates provides proprioceptive input while my movements provide vestibular stimulation. The stimulation varies depending on my speed, acceleration/deceleration, spinning vs skating in a straight line and positional changes.

I loved using a horse as a therapeutic tool while performing hippotherapy because there were so many options to use movement, positioning, the environment and toys to impact muscle tone, range of motion, sensory regulation, strength and much more.

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