Proprioception and the Wright Balance® Wristbands

Copyright, Wright Balance® 2026

David F. Wright, Ph.D., PGA

"A single flaw may cause the collapse of the whole." (flaws in the base destabilize the whole structure)

Gilbert N Lewis, 1926

An eBook in 2025 explored the possible explanations of the effects of taping fingers resulting in changes in planes of motion. Here is a link to that eBook: https://instructions.wrightbalance.com/finger-power-spots-and-the-propagation-of-force/

Recent research suggest that Proprioception is also a possible explanation of taping and thus, Wright Balance® Wristbands as well. Note that the 2025 eBook and this eBook are speculative. That is, formal research is yet to be conducted. However, the protocol development is in process.

What is Proprioception?

Proprioception is your built-in sense of where your body segments (arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, head, shoulders, pelvis, etc.) are and how they are moving in space without you having to look. Close your eyes and touch your nose: you can do it because sensors in your muscles, tendons, joints, and skin are constantly reporting to your brain. Your brain uses those signals to build a live map of your body, and it is constantly adjusting to keep you balanced as you move. You use proprioception every time you move, walk in the dark or catch yourself when you stumble without the need to watch your feet.

Your Kinetic Chain

Kinetic chain refers to the interconnected system of joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage that work together to produce the arrangement of your body alignment. The primary role of the kinetic chain is to facilitate efficient movement and balance. Kinematics is the movement of the kinetic chain.

The majority of the population presents with either a lower right shoulder or lower left shoulder with the same side hip higher than the other side, rotation of the pelvis and shoulders and pronation or supination of one knee when standing, walking or running.

The Wright Balance® Wristbands impact the alignment of the kinetic chain to produce level hips and shoulders, elimination of knee pronation, unrestricted lateral motion, elimination of drag (pelvic rotation) when walking or running and the ability to grip any object from cane to club without creating imbalances via misalignment of the kinetic chain.

Misalignment of the kinetic chain can be visually observed noting pelvic and shoulder rotation, uneven shoulders and hips, knee pronation or supination on one side and “drag” (hip rotation) when walking. Misalignment creates pelvic rotation and is observed when a person squats to pick up an item. This pelvic rotation when squatting places stress on the misaligned muscular interface of the spine and pelvis setting the stage for spinal injuries, especially when lifting heavy objects at home, work or during exercise.

Misalignment of the kinetic chain was initially observed in the mid 1990s and tested in our original research in Dr. Frank Jobes biomechanics lab at Centinela Hospital in the late 1990s and early 2000s. One of the research segments focused on one exercise that aligned pelvic rotation. Wright Balance® has continued to test various exercises to align the kinetic chain. Wearing the Wright Balance® Wristbands during the isometric exercises (the Wright Balance® Express) has impacted the entire kinetic chain in all planes of motion.

The bottom line with misalignment of the kinetic chain is creation of imbalances at ground level. An aligned kinetic chain demonstrates a straight line of pressure.

When the right shoulder is lower, their is an internal rotation of the left hand and balance is forward in the right foot and back in the left foot creating a rotation of the pelvis to the left. That balance configuration is shown here.

Similarly, when the left shoulder is lower, their is an internal rotation of the right hand and balance is forward in the left foot and back in the right foot creating a rotation of the pelvis to the right as shown here.

A misaligned kinetic chain shows a diagonal line of pressure as shown above. An aligned kinetic chain shows a straight line of pressure at ground level. The location of this straight line of pressure is dependent on the Dominant Core Zone.

In Summary

The kinetic chain is the interconnected system of joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage that work together to shape your body alignment. Its primary role is to keep you balanced and moving efficiently. When we talk about how your kinetic chain moves in action, this movement is called kinematics. The sequential movement of segments of the kinetic chain necessary to perform an activity is called the kinematic sequence.

Most sports and activities from dancing to swimming to running to swinging a club or bat require practice of fundamentals and precise sequential motion. These movement patterns are the kinematic sequence specific to the motions being trained. The alignment of the kinetic chain dictates how the kinematic sequence will occur. A misaligned kinetic chain requires some compensatory movement. These compensations place stress on the kinetic chain and, with repetitive motion, raise the probability of muscle strain, soreness, pain and injury.

Most people naturally live out of alignment. You will typically see this misalignment as a lower right shoulder or a lower left shoulder, paired with a higher hip on the same side as the low shoulder.

The Wright Balance® Wristbands directly impact the alignment of your kinetic chain to restore balance. By wearing the Wright Balance® Wristbands on each wrist, you can achieve:

• Level hips and shoulders to balance your frame.

• Elimination of knee pronation to protect your joints.

• Unrestricted lateral motion for fluid, easy twisting and turning.

• Effortless movement by removing "drag" (pelvic rotation & piston action of hips) when walking or running.

• A balanced grip that lets you hold any object from a walking cane to a golf club without triggering misalignments or imbalances elsewhere in your body.

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How does a Wright Balance® Wristband impact the organization of your kinetic chain?

A Wright Balance® wristband does not hold anything in place. It is not a brace, and it does not work by being tight. It works, in our current understanding, by providing your nervous system additional information about your body in space.

The Wright Balance® Wristband touches the entire circumference of the wrist. That constant, gentle contact stimulates the sensors in the skin around the wrist, adding to the stream of position signals traveling to the brain. With clearer information about where the wrist — and therefore the arm — is in space, the brain can better organize the rest of the body: the hips square up, the shoulders level, and movement frees up through the entire kinetic chain. This is why the effect shows up far from the wrist itself, in the hips and shoulders: the signal starts at the wrist, but the organization happens in the brain and is expressed through the entire kinetic chain.

This explanation fits what research on athletic tape has found. Studies of taped joints show that tape can improve a person's sense of joint position — not by mechanically supporting the joint, but by increasing sensory feedback from the skin. The Wright Balance® Wristband appears to work the same way: it is a signal, not a support.

Two details address the impact of the Wright Balance® Wristband. First, the band does not need to be tight — it only needs to touch the full circle of the wrist. If it worked mechanically, tightness would matter. Second, a ring or a band-aid on the wrist has no such effect, because it does not contact the whole circumference. The full circle of contact is the point.

Why does it matter which wrist?

Wright Balance® observations, tested on well over 200 individuals show different effects based upon which wrist the Wright Balance® Wristband is worn:

The trail (dominant-hand) Wright Balance® Wristband impacts the rotation of your hips and shoulders (rotational plane) and handle / grip size:

1. With the band on the trail wrist, the hips and shoulders stay square when measured while standing tall.
2. Holding any object in the lead or trail hand no longer creates misalignment of the kinetic chain or changes in heel to toe balance. Thus,the grip size of a walking cane, tool or club or any object placed in either hand no longer creates misalignment of the kinetic chain.
3. There is no restriction of lateral movement in a static position.
4. Squatting to pick up an object no longer creates pelvic rotation eliminating torque on the spine when lifting

The following is a video summary of how the Wright Balance® Wristbands impact each plane of motion in the kinematics of the kinetic chain.

Grip Sizing & Wright Balance® Wristbands

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/oPGHNTw1AmQ?si=AG-eKx3ixTCiZ0ec

17 minutes & 17 seconds

The lead (non-dominant) wrist Impacts leveling of hips and shoulders (this is the frontal / coronal plane).

Look in a mirror and note that one shoulder is lower and your hip on the same side of the lower shoulder is higher. Place the Wright Balance® Wristband on your lead wrist (non-dominant side) as you look in the mirror. Note the leveling of your shoulders. If you place your thumbs on your hips, you will notice that your hips level as well.

Remove the wrist band from your non-dominant wrist. Take a step forward and backward (this is the sagittal Plane). Notice that as you step forward your hips rotate

1. With the Wright Balance® Wristband on the lead wrist(non-dominant side), the hips and shoulders level.
2. Knee pronation or supination is eliminated
3. When the person steps forward or back there is no rotation or "piston action" of the hips.

When the Wright Balance® Wristbands are worn on both wrist the kinetic chain aligns in all planes of motion.

Correcting Misalignment of the Kinetic Chain

The kinetic chain becomes misaligned by most repetitive activity activity, for example, by a stretching warm-up or some repetitive activity like walking, running or cycling, putting on both Wright Balance® Wristbands corrects all planes at once.

In short: the trail wrist speaks mainly to rotation, the lead wrist mainly to level, and together they give the nervous system the most comprehensive picture.

What is proven, and what is not?

The effects described above are Wright Balance® observations, tested on well over 200 individuals. The proprioception explanation — that the band works by adding sensory information through the nervous system — is the leading plausible explanation for how those effects happen. It is consistent with the tape research, but it is not a final conclusion: scientists are still studying exactly how much of taping effect comes from skin feedback, and results vary between studies.

A Wright Balance® eBook proposes other possible mechanisms, including fascia and tensegrity. This eBook was written prior to the discovery of the wristbands. Taping fingers showed a similar response in the rotational plane. Here is a link to that eBook filled with many possible explanations.

https://instructions.wrightbalance.com/finger-power-spots-and-the-propagation-of-force/

What is not in doubt is the experience. Put the Wright Balance® Bands on and your kinetic chain organizes; take them off, and the old pattern returns.

References

1. Ghai S, Ghai I, Narciss S. Influence of taping on joint proprioception: a systematic review with between and within group meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2024;25:480. doi:10.1186/s12891-024-07571-2.

91 studies, 2,718 people. Taping reduced joint repositioning errors compared with no tape and with placebo tape; elastic and rigid tape performed similarly.

2. Seo HD, Kim MY, Choi JE, Lim GH, Jung SI, Park SH, Cheon SH, Lee HY. Effects of Kinesio taping on joint position sense of the ankle. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2016. PMCID: PMC4868206.

Taping improved joint position sense in dorsiflexion and inversion; the authors describe the mechanism as increased stimulation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors.

3. Salemi P, Abbasi L, Naimi SS, Ghanbari A, Mortezanejad M, Khalili SF, Abdollahi Fallahi S. The immediate effect of kinesiotaping versus neoprene brace on the ankle joint position sense in athletes with recurrent ankle sprain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2026;18:309. doi:10.1186/s13102-026-01636-6.

In athletes with recurrent ankle sprain, both kinesiotaping and neoprene bracing improved joint position sense versus no intervention; taping was better for inversion positions.

4. Miralles I, Monterde S, del Río O, Salvat I. Has Kinesio tape effects on ankle proprioception? A randomized clinical trial. 2014.

Counterpoint: In 68 healthy volunteers, kinesiotape had no significant effect on ankle joint position sense, either immediately or 48 hours later.

5. Halseth T, McChesney JW, Debeliso M, et al. The effects of kinesio taping on proprioception at the ankle. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2004;3:1–7.

An earlier study, also in healthy subjects, finding no significant improvement in ankle proprioception with kinesiotaping.

Note: The literature is mixed. Taping shows clearer proprioceptive benefit in people with instability than in healthy subjects. Proprioception is the leading plausible explanation for how the Wright Balance® wristbands work, not a final conclusion.