What is the Vestibular System?
What is the Vestibular System?
The vestibular system is a network of tiny organs in the inner ear that helps children understand their body's position in space. It's the first sensory system to fully develop, usually around six months after conception. The vestibular system helps children feel secure and confident in their bodies, which allows them to move, learn, and rest.
What Role Does the Vestibular System Play in Child Development?
The vestibular system plays an important role in linking other sensory systems together to affect many other neurological systems in the brain. It helps children feel secure and confident in their bodies, which allows them to move, learn, and rest.
- Bouncing: Bouncing on a Hippity Hop
- Rocking: Rocking chair, rocking horse, or rocking back and forth on an exercise ball
- Spinning: Spinning on an office chair, or spinning around like an airplane
What are the Signs of Vestibular Disorders in Children?
Vestibular disorders in children can present as vertigo/dizziness, imbalance, frequent falls, motion intolerance, delayed motor milestones, abnormal eye movements, and difficulty navigating in the dark and/or on uneven surfaces.
- Poor balance leading to falls, especially during high-level motor skills such as hopping, skipping, or walking on a balance beam
- Delayed sitting, standing and walking in babies
What is the Role of the Vestibular System in Balance and Spatial Orientation?
The vestibular system is a sensory system in vertebrates that helps with balance and spatial orientation. It's located in the inner ear and works with the cochlea to form the labyrinth. The vestibular system helps with balance, body position, postural reflexes, eye movements, and coordination of eye movements, posture, and equilibrium.
What are the Components of the Vestibular System?
The vestibular system has five end organs: three semicircular canals and two otolith organs. The semicircular canals are sensitive to head rotations, while the otolith organs are sensitive to straight-line accelerations. The brain processes information from the vestibular system and sends it to other organs, such as the eyes, joints, or muscles.
How Can You Stimulate the Vestibular System?
Activities that can help stimulate the vestibular system include swings that are low to the ground, hammocks, suspended seats, and swinging garden seats.
- Swings that are low to the ground
- Hammocks
- Suspended seats
How are Vestibular Disorders Managed?
Vestibular disorders can appear for a few days and then go away, or they can persist and recur many times. Symptoms include a staggering walk, trouble focusing, and feeling fatigued. While there's no cure for vestibular disorders, medications and vestibular rehabilitation may help manage symptoms.