What exactly is a Vestibular System?

{picture credit}

To be honest I never heard of the the Vestibular System until I began my training to teach Kindermusik. It seemed odd to me since I've always been fascinated by the human body and even took an advanced biology class in college. I've told lots of parents about the benefits of stimulating it but 

what exactly is it?

I did a little research and  here are the basics of what I learned:

(This is the readers digest version, more detail to come)

from Wikipedia "The vestibular system, ...contributes to our balance and our sense of spatial orientation, is the sensory system that provides the dominant input about movement... Together with the cochlea, a part of the auditory system, it constitutes the labyrinth of the inner ear,... The vestibular system sends signals to the neural structures that control our eye movements, and to the muscles that keep us upright. {source}

"A baby's learning during the 1st 15 months of life is centered on the development of vestibular control. Balance, coordination, and locomotion all depend on the proper functioning of this very important system." {source}

Stimulating the vestibular system by using movement is a key foundation for learning (Promislow, 2003). "The vestibular system, which controls our sense of balance and movement, is also centered in the ear. The vestibular system is interconnected to the cerebral cortex, as well as the eyes and core muscles, and is highly important to the learning process" (Promislow, 2003, p. 123). {source}

 

You know when you spin around a lot and then stop and your eyes move back and forth and you feel like you are still spinning?.... Vestibular system! 

The vestibular system is a use it or loose it system. If we move less as we age our vestibular system doesn't work as well. This results in a decreased sense of balance and ability to right ourselves making older people prone to falls. Often the feeling of unsteadiness results in a reduction of movement, which in turn decreases the functionality of the vestibular system. {picture credit and source}

This is just a sliver of what I learned.

Stay tuned for more...