How Is Your Balance?
Here’s a simple test for you: Can you close your eyes and stand steady on one leg for 10 seconds? If not, then your balance is not up to par. Your ability to balance is an incredibly complex action that requires millions of nerves and hundreds of muscles to work together to help you move and stop you from falling over on your face. However, poor balance is one of the leading causes for sports injuries, chronic back pain and much more. Having poor balance often goes undetected until it is very severe and puts one at exceptional risk for injury. It is even worse for older adults, especially over age 65, of which one third fall each year. People who experience a fall are at increased risk for future falls too. Major injuries, including fractures, head trauma, and soft tissue injuries, occur in about 10% of individual falls. However, minor injuries are much more common. Balance and walking progressively decline as you age. There can be fears of going up steps or curbs, walking on grass or walking in dark areas of your house. One reason is joint stiffness and weakness in muscles of the hips, lower extremities and feet. When there is a loss of the mobility in the ankle joint and multiple joints of the foot, you cannot adapt well to uneven terrain. Many people think having poor balance happens in just older people.
Why Therapy Should Be A Part Of Your Vestibular Treatment
Vestibular Rehab is a series of specialized movements and exercises designed to abolish vertigo, improve balance, and normalize gait for those patients with a low functioning Vestibular System. If you have a similiar diagnoses to the following, you may benefit from Vestibular Rehab: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): BPPV can be completely resolved in 1-3 treatments using a series of head movements called Canalith Repositioning Techniques (CRT). The most common CRT is the Epley Maneuver which resolves posterior canal BPPV. If the Epley does not work the Liberatory Maneuver can be used. CRT’s are 90-95% effective. BPPV can also be treated by a series of exercises called Brandt-Daroff exercises. Brandt-Daroff exercises must be completed for 2 weeks to abolish the vertigo but are 95% effective. Peripheral Hypofunction: Hypofunctions are usually caused by neuritis, labyrinthitis, or unknown factors. Suffering from dizziness and imbalance can significantly affect your safety and independence. These symptoms are treated with a series of exercises designed to stimulate the Vestibular and Central Nervous system in order to achieve compensation for the deficit. This therapy is done 2-3 times a week
for 4-6 weeks depending on the level of severity. Studies have supported the use of Vestibular exercises and have shown 85% of patients completing vestibular rehab reported less dizziness as compared to 64% of patients just doing general exercise.
Our physical therapists at Axcess Physical Therapy have received specialized training in Vestibular Rehabilitation. If you are experiencing problems with balance or dizziness, we can provide a full vestibular assessment. We consistently get great results because of our thorough assessment, proven, effective treatment techniques, and sympathetic encouragement. Call Axcess Physical Therapy Today! Hall,CourtneyD.,etal. “VestibularRehabilitation forPeripheralVestibularHypofunction:AnEvidence-BasedClinicalPractice Guideline:FROMTHEAMERICANPHYSICALTHERAPYASSOCIATIONNEUROLOGYSECTION.”JournalofNeurologicPhysical Therapy,NeurologySection,APTA,Apr.2016,www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4795094/.
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