From clinical practice it is apparent that functional disorders are not isolated but mutually linked.It was found that the key to understanding of these functional associations at an extrasegmental level is a central programme which matures in the course of postural ontogenesis. Via this programme sensomotor relations between individual links of the organism are defined which so far were not included in neurophysiological considerations. Their existence is of fundamental importance for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in physiotherapy. As to its contents this general neurophysi- ological principle affects also a number of other disciplines (anatomy, neurology, orthopaedics etc.).

        Key words: postural function, sensomotor relations