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The vestibular system is a sensory system located in the inner ear and plays a fundamental role in children's balance, coordination and motor development, as well as in spatial perception and orientation in space.
The vestibular system is composed of two main components:
Peripheral vestibular component
This component is made up of three semicircular canals, two otolithic organs and the VIII cranial nerve.
The anterior, lateral and posterior canals detect rotational movements of the head. For example, the semicircular canals are activated when the head is turned to the left and right or when the head is tilted up and down.
The fluid in the semicircular canals moves when the head rotates.
The movement of this fluid causes the hair cells of the semicircular canals to bend, and the bending of the hair cells stimulates the VIIIth cranial nerve.
The two otolithic organs are the utricle and the saccule , which detect linear movements of the head. The otolithic organs are activated when walking forwards and backwards or when jumping.
When a linear movement of the head occurs, the fluid in the otolithic organs moves, but the otoconia (calcium carbonate crystals) in the otolithic organs lag behind.
Delayed otoconia causes the hair cells of the otolithic organs to bend, which stimulates cranial nerve VIII.
The VIII cranial nerve is formed by the cochlear nerve (hearing) and the vestibular nerve (balance) .
The purpose of the vestibular nerve is to transmit balance-related information from the semicircular canals and otolithic organs to the central nervous system.
Central vestibular component
The central nervous system is composed of the vestibular nuclei, the ascending tract, and the descending tract.
The purpose of the vestibular nuclei is to process balance-related information from the peripheral vestibular system, as well as visual information from the eyes and somatosensory information from the muscles.
Once the vestibular nuclear complex has combined the incoming information, it transmits the outgoing information along the ascending tract to control eye movement and along the descending tract to control muscle movement.
The two main functions of the vestibular system are to stabilize the eyes during head movements and to stabilize the body during head movements.
The combination of these receptors is very precise and tells us exactly where we are in relation to gravity, whether we are moving or still, how fast we are going and in what direction.
The vestibular system is so sensitive that changes in position and movement have a very powerful effect on the brain and can change even with the most subtle change in position or movement.
Vestibular impulses travel down the spinal cord to interact with other sensory and motor impulses that help us with posture, balance, and movement.
Other impulses travel to higher levels of the brain to interact with tactile, proprioceptive, visual and auditory impulses that give us our perception of space and our position and orientation in it.
15 minutes of vestibular stimulation can have a 6-8 hour impact (good or bad) on the brain and self-regulation.
Vestibular stimulation must be controlled, monitored and monitored to avoid negative effects.
Some vestibular stimuli are:
😀 ACTIVITIES WHERE THE HEAD IS INVERTED
Benefits
Regulates and organizes the nervous system.
Calm or alert depending on the state of regulation.
A powerful dose of input.
Joint traction or compression on the spine - important for proprioception.
It promotes attention to the task, focus and concentration.
Activities
The Inverted Tree : With the help of an adult, the child can hang upside down from a soft pull-up bar or an adapted swing. This provides a feeling of weightlessness and stimulates the vestibular system.
"V-ing" or bear crawling: The child can sit on the floor and form a "V" with their legs, keeping their ankles touching the floor and lifting their legs up into a "V" shape. They can reach for their feet or interact with toys while in this position.
Inverted Yoga Games: Introduce inverted yoga poses adapted to the child's age, such as "downward facing dog" or "candle." These poses stimulate the vestibular system while encouraging relaxation.
On your back on a therapeutic ball, lying face up or face down
Hanging over mom or dad's legs
Hanging from the edge of a hammock or swing.
Tips
It should be done in small doses throughout the day.
Be careful the first time you invert your child as he or she may resist.
Slowly return the child to an upright position.
Follow the recommendations of a specialized therapist.
😀 VERTICAL STIMULUS
Benefits
Rebounding promotes self-regulation.
Provides proprioceptive information to the spine and joints of the lower body.
Improves body awareness and body in space.
Improves core strength.
Improves lower body proximal stability and weight shifting.
Promotes attention to the task and cognition
Activities
Trampoline Jumping: Use a trampoline appropriate for the child's age and supervised by an adult. Trampoline jumping provides intense vestibular stimulation and is a lot of fun.
Jump Rope: Teach your child to jump rope, starting with simple jumps and gradually increasing the complexity. This improves balance, coordination and endurance.
Small Trampoline: If you don't have access to a large trampoline, a small trampoline is a safe alternative for your child to jump on and stimulate the vestibular system.
Bunny Hops: Ask your child to imitate a bunny hop by jumping back and forth in place. This activity encourages coordination and balance.
Medicine Ball: Use a medicine ball and have the child perform controlled jumps on it, such as jumping from side to side or jumping up and catching the ball.
Jumping by Touching Objects: Place small objects on the floor and ask the child to jump from one object to another, touching them as he jumps. This improves spatial awareness.
Jumping from one side to the other on a circuit
Tips
Create a clear space, remove potentially dangerous objects (tables, chairs, etc.).
Follow the recommendations of a specialized therapist.
😀 LINEAR STIMULUS
Benefits
Increase the alert level.
They facilitate calming affect.
Improves attention.
Organizes the nervous system.
Improves balance and core strength.
Activities
Linear Platform Swing: Uses a linear platform swing or a large tire swing that swings straight back and forth. This provides a gentle, relaxing linear stimulus for the vestibular system.
Swinging in a Hammock: Place a hammock in a horizontal position and allow the child to gently swing. This provides linear vestibular stimulation while the child relaxes.
Stroller Ride: If the child is small enough, a ride in a stroller or pram provides linear motion that can be both stimulating and relaxing.
Rocking Chair Rocking: Use a rocking chair and have the child sit and rock back and forth. This provides a gentle linear motion.
Office Chair with Wheels: In a supervised setting, a child can sit in an office chair with wheels and move back and forth to experience linear stimulation.
Sheet Swing: Hang a long sheet from a bar or frame and have the child sit on it. Then, gently move the sheet back and forth to create a linear motion.
Sit upright on a bench or therapy ball: pick up toys placed between your legs and return to the starting position.
Tips
The gentle back-and-forth motion is the most beneficial.
The rhythmic and predictable rocking creates a calming atmosphere.
Swinging on linear planes is the most beneficial for the brain when it comes to the power of vestibular stimulation.
Follow the recommendations of a specialized therapist.
😀 ROTATING STIMULUS
It is the most powerful form of sensory input.
Benefits
Improves balance.
Promotes visual-vestbular coordination.
Improves spatial perception.
Promotes concentration.
Activities
Musical Chair Game: Set up a game of musical chairs where children walk in circles around chairs while the music is playing. When the music stops, they must quickly sit down. This game involves spinning and changing directions.
Spinning Swing: Use a spinning swing in a park or on the playground. Children can climb onto the swing and experience the sensation of rotation as they are gently pushed along.
Carousel: Visit a carousel at an amusement park or set up a toy carousel at home. Carousels provide rotating vestibular stimulation.
Blanket Spin: Place a blanket on the floor and have the children sit in the center. Then, gently pull on the blanket to have them spin in circles.
Tips
Turns must be limited and supervised.
Each child may react differently to the spin.
may not register rotary input at all and lack post-rotary nystagmus.
may over-register the rotation entry - a rotation may trigger a significant response and systemic reaction.
Avoid in children with seizure disorders.
Avoid after meals.
Follow the recommendations of a specialized therapist.
It is important to remember that:
The brain's job is to filter, organize, and integrate a set of sensory information so that it can be used for proper development and performance.
Sensory integration dysfunction makes it difficult for the brain to do its job. Fortunately, neuroplasticity makes it possible for therapy to change the brain's organization so that it can better perceive information and learn.
Vestibular stimulation is one of the most powerful therapeutic tools to remedy sensory integration dysfunction.
A healthy vestibular system allows us to feel safe and organized in our bodies so that we can attend to and respond to all the other senses we encounter every day.
When the vestibular system does not function properly, a child may be undersensitive or oversensitive to movement.
Although the need for movement is crucial in the developmental years, it continues throughout life and is essential to support self-regulation.
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