Balance Therapy & Rehabilitation

If you have a balance disorder, you may stagger when you try to walk, or teeter or fall when you try to stand up. You might experience other symptoms such as:

• Dizziness or vertigo (a spinning sensation)
• Falling or feeling as if you are going to fall
• Lightheadedness, faintness, or a floating sensation
• Blurred vision
• Confusion or disorientation.

Other symptoms might include nausea and vomiting, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, and fear, anxiety, or panic. Symptoms may come and go over short time periods or last for a long time, and can lead to fatigue and depression.

A major sign of problems is the need to use a front wheel walker or cane to maintain balance or because of a fear of falling.

There are many causes of balance problems, such as medications, ear infections, a head injury, or anything else that affects the inner ear or brain. Low blood pressure can lead to dizziness when you stand up too quickly. Problems that affect the skeletal or visual systems, such as arthritis or eye muscle imbalance, can also cause balance disorders. Your risk of having balance problems increases as you get older.

Unfortunately, many balance disorders start suddenly and with no obvious cause.

Simply stated, to maintain your balance, your body uses your eyes, ears, and feet to maintain proper positions during daily activities. Trouble with one or more of these systems can lead to balance problems.

• Central Nervous System Disorders
• Neuropathy
• Age-Related Balance Dysfunction
• Oculomotor (Visual) Dysfunction
• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)
• Labyrinthitis
• Ménière's Disease
• Vestibular Neuronitis
• Muscle Atrophy
• Nerve Injuries

There are more than a dozen causes of dizziness and many reasons why you might have difficulty with your balance.

Treatment of balance & dizziness disorders can be very complex. Nevertheless, we have helped numerous residents in the community cope with or recover from conditions that cause balance disorders.

The first thing your doctor will do if you have a balance problem is determine if another health condition or a medication is to blame. If so, your doctor will treat the condition, suggest a different medication, or in many cases, refer you to one of our balance disorder experts.

Physical therapist directed treatment can assist patients with balance disorders in a number of ways. As experts in the evaluation and treatment of movement, muscle, joint, and nervous system disorders, our physical therapists can prescribe and implement a variety of treatments including:

• Coordination Exercises
• Proprioception Exercises
• Strengthening Exercises
• Stretching and Range of Motion Exercises
• Posture Exercises
• Retraining of the Inner Ear
• Visual Tracking Training

The most important part of treating a balance disorder is understanding your diagnosis, the cause of the problem, and how to manage it. That's why we place great emphasis on patient education and coordination of care with your referring physician.

Three Additional and Important Treatment Options

Reduce Fall Risk. Your physical therapist will assess problem footwear and hazards in your home that increase your risk of balance problems or falling. Household hazards include loose rugs, poor lighting, unrestrained pets, or other possible obstacles.

Reduce Fear of Falling. By addressing specific problems that are found during the examination, your physical therapist will help you regain confidence in your balance and your ability to move freely, and perform daily activities. As you build confidence in your balance and physical ability, you will be better able to enjoy your normal daily activities.

Care Collaboration. Working in collaboration with your medical doctor, allows you to get two expert opinions and assessments of your condition. Together, we can better address your balance disorders and decrease your fear of falling and fall risks.

If you have BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), our vestibular therapy experts can perform a series of simple movements, such as the Epley maneuver, which can help dislodge the otoconia (calcium crystals) from the semicircular canal of the ear. In many cases, one session works; other people need the procedure several times to relieve their dizziness.

To help you decide whether to seek medical help for a dizzy spell, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, talk to your one of our physical therapists and your doctor:

• Do I feel unsteady?
• Do I feel as if the room is spinning around me?
• Do I feel as if I'm moving when I know I'm sitting or standing still?
• Do I lose my balance and fall?
• Do I feel as if I'm falling?
• Do I feel lightheaded or as if I might faint?
• Do I have blurred vision?
• Do I ever feel disoriented–losing my sense of time or location?
• Do I ever need a cane or walker when I walk around the house or community?

The physical therapists at Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help increase your strength and coordination to help lower your risk of falling and getting hurt during daily activities, such as when you walk up or down stairs, use the bathroom, or exercise.

Some people with a balance disorder will need the help of our vestibular rehabilitation therapists to cope with their problems. In each case, we will conduct a personalized evaluation of your condition and then we will develop an individualized treatment plan.

Call Today

Call us today to learn more about how we can develop a personalized treatment program for your balance problems and help you get back to enjoying a higher quality of life.