Physiotherapist UNIVERSIDAD TECNOLOGICA DEL SUROESTE DE GUANAJUATO VALLE DE SANTIAGO, Guanajuato, Mexico
Objectives : To clarify the concept of proprioceptive training and the inconsistencies in its assessment, implementation, and reported effects across clinical rehabilitation and sport, and to provide guidance for future research. We examine how the term is defined, how it is distinguished from related balance or neuromuscular approaches, and how measurement and protocol variability influence interpretation.
Design: Narrative review. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus, complemented by secondary reference tracking. Publications from 2000 to May 2025 were included to capture landmark and recent evidence. Eligible sources addressed: (1) conceptual foundations of proprioception, (2) assessment techniques/instruments, (3) interventions explicitly labeled “proprioceptive training,” or (4) critical reviews of conceptual divergences. Exclusions were studies focused only on balance/postural control without direct proprioception measures, pathological populations (except musculoskeletal), and non–peer-reviewed sources. Review quality was considered using SANRA.
Results: The literature shows persistent inconsistency in defining and operationalizing proprioceptive training. The term is often applied to programs primarily targeting balance or general neuromuscular performance, without specifying intended proprioceptive sensory targets. Assessment methods vary widely (e.g., joint position sense, kinesthesia/movement detection and related functional tests) and differ in reliability and ecological validity, contributing to heterogeneous findings. Intervention content, progression, and dosing are inconsistently described, limiting replication, comparability, and conclusions about dose–response or mechanisms. Overall, conceptual overlap and methodological variability hinder synthesis of effects across rehabilitation and sport contexts.
Conclusion: Proprioceptive training remains variably defined, measured, and reported. Progress requires a consensus definition, clearer distinction from balance/neuromuscular training, and standardized selection and reporting of proprioceptive outcomes. Detailed description of protocol elements, progression, and dosing is essential for reproducibility. Future studies should link intervention components to explicit proprioceptive targets and use valid, comparable measures to strengthen translation into clinical and performance practice
