4/7/2016 Sensory 

Integrity — Guide to Phys. Therapist Prac.

Sensory Integrity

Sensory integrity is the soundness of cortical sensory processing, including proprioception, vibration sense,
stereognosis, and cutaneous sensation. Proprioception is the reception of stimuli from within the body (eg, from
muscles and tendons) and includes position sense (the awareness of joint position) and kinesthesia (the
awareness of movement). Vibration sense is the ability to sense mechanical vibration. Stereognosis is the ability
to perceive, recognize, and name familiar objects. Cutaneous sensation is the ability to determine location of and
discriminate between 2 points of sensory stimulation.

The physical therapist uses the results of tests and measures to determine the integrity of an individual's sensory,
perceptual, and somatosensory processes. Responses monitored at rest, during activity, and after activity may
indicate the presence or severity of an impairment, activity limitation, or participation restriction.

Examples of Clinical Indications:

Risk factors for impaired sensory integrity

Lack of safety awareness in all environments

Risk-prone behaviors (eg, working without protective gloves)

Substance abuse

Health, wellness, and တtness needs

Fitness, including physical performance (eg, inadequate balance, limited perception of arms and
legs in space)

Health and wellness (eg, inadequate understanding of role of proprioception in balance)

Pathology or health condition

Cardiovascular (eg, lymphedema, peripheral vascular disease [PVD])

Integumentary (eg, burn, frostbite)

Musculoskeletal (eg, derangement of joint; disorders of bursa, synovia, and tendon)

Neuromuscular (eg, cerebral palsy [CP], stroke, developmental delay, spinal cord injury [SCI],
traumatic brain injury [TBI])

Pulmonary (eg, ventilatory pump failure)

Multisystem (eg, acquired immunodeတciency syndrome [AIDS], Guillain-Barré syndrome [GBS],

trauma)

Impairments of body functions and structures

Circulation (eg, numb feet)

Integumentary integrity (eg, redness under orthosis)

Muscle performance (eg, decreased grip strength)

Posture (eg, asymmetrical alignment)

Activity limitations and participation restrictions

Self-care (eg, inability to put on trousers while standing due to foot numbness)

Domestic life (eg, di†culty with sorting laundry due to hand numbness)

Education (eg, inability to sit for full classes to sensory loss in trunk and lower extremities)

Work life (eg, inability to operate cash register due to clumsiness)

Community, social, and civic life (eg, inability to drive car due to loss of spatial awareness,
inability to play guitar due to hyperesthesia)

Examples of What Tests and Measures May Characterize or Quantify:

Combined/cortical sensations (eg, stereognosis tests, tactile discrimination tests) Speciတc Tests

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4/7/2016 Sensory Integrity — Guide to Phys. Therapist Prac.
and Measures in PTNow

Deep sensations (eg, kinesthesiometry, vibration tests) Speciတc Tests and Measures in PTNow

Electrophysiological integrity (eg, nerve conduction studies; needle, တne wire, or surface
electromyography) Speciတc Tests and Measures in PTNow

Examples of Data-Gathering Tools:

Esthesiometers

Filaments

Kinesthesiometers

Pressure scales

Thermographic instruments (hot and cold objects)

Tuning forks

Examples of Data Used in Documentation:

Position and movement sense

Sensory processing

Sensory responses to provocation

Last updated August 1, 2014.

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