Kinesthesia is defined as which of the following?

• A. Ability to detect movement.
• B. Determining one's position in space.
• C. Ability to sense pain.
• D. Perception of force.

Answer: (A)

Kinesthesia is the sense that detects movement of the body's parts. It tells you when a limb is moving, the direction, speed, and changes in movement, based on input from receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints. This is different from proprioception, which includes knowing where a limb is in space without moving it. Perception of force and pain involve other sensory aspects (force sensing and nociception, respectively). So the best description is the ability to detect movement.