Terminology - Proprioceptive Screening and Facilitation
Br>by Sandra Rosen, Ph.D.
To make the training go more quickly at the workshop, we ask you to learn the four terms that we'll be using throughout the day:
Student's target arm (or target hand)
This is the student's limb being assessed. It is the hand or arm that the student uses for the O&M technique, such as
upper hand and forearm, moving the cane, etc., and you are asssessing the proprioception of the joints in that arm or hand.
The assessment involves the student moving that target limb or arm in relation to the other arm or hand (which the instructor is moving).
Student's testing arm (or testing hand):
This is the student's limb opposite the target limb.
The testing limb is manipulated by the O&M specialist while the student allows it to be passively positioned.
After the assessment, the instructor provides proprioceptive facilitation for the joints with deficits by stabilizing the limb with one hand, and then providing resistance with the other hand. The terms for each hand are:
Instructor's stabilizing hand:
This is the instructor's hand that is placed immediately proximal to the student's target joint.
Instructor's resisting hand:
This is the instructor's hand that is placed immediately proximal to the student's next-most-distal joint, as listed in the chart below.
Target Joint --> Joint next-most-distal to target joint
Shoulder --> Elbow
Elbow --> Wrist
Wrist --> Knuckles
Knuckles --> Finger joints (there are three individual joints in the fingers, and two in the thumbs)