3. Paresthesia
Paresthesia is a term that describes the loss of input from the muscles and skin. What many people don’t realize is just how important the body is when it comes to understanding the world around us. In fact, the muscles are often referred to as “sensory organs” as they have the ability to detect such things as gravity, g-force, angle, and more.
This is possible thanks to proprioceptors such as the muscle spindles. Muscle spindles help to detect changes in the length of the muscles, while the Golgi tendon organ helps to detect tension in the muscle.
By using information from proprioceptors, the brain can create a mental map of the body and visualize where the limbs and torso are in space. This is then combined with information from the other senses in order to help us balance and move.