What Do I Do If I Am Dizzy or Experiencing Vertigo? If you are dizzy or experiencing vertigo, safety should be your number one concern. Every year, millions of adults fall, with one in five leading to a serious injury. In fact, with each decade after 65-years-old, the percentage of people falling jumps from 40 percent to 65 percent to 82 percent. Even if a fall does not result in a broken bone or fracture, pain resulting from a fall can make it difficult to reclaim your quality of life. If you feel dizzy or the room begins to spin, sit down in the nearest chair or lay down on the couch until the dizziness passes. If it does not subside or if the vertigo goes away but you are still unsteady, you may need medical attention. How Are Dizziness, Balance Problems and Vertigo Treated? Once theyhaveruledoutvirulentunderlyingcauses,physiciansusually treat balance problems with medications designed to combat nausea andreduce thesensation that theworld isspinning.Whilemedications are an important aspect of treating a person’s vertigo, especially if the underlying cause is an infection, it does not address other problems that may be contributing to balance issues. Maintaining your balance while standing and walking is a complex function. Not only do you need a functioning brain and nervous system, you also need good vision, a healthy inner ear, strong muscles, healthy feet, and mobile joints. If any one of these aspects of balance is compromised, the whole system is affected. Medicating the symptom (dizziness) does nothing to address the other systems that may be at play. What Can Physical Therapy Do for Balance? Physical therapists are experts in movement. Not only can they diagnose movement and balance problems, they can prescribe a H O W P H Y S I C A L T H E R A P Y C A N H E L P BRING BALANCE
personalized therapeutic treatment plan that can help you feel more steady, experience less dizziness and lower your risk of a fall. • Alleviate a Fear of Falling. A physical therapist can assess your footwear and any hazards that increase your risk of falling. They are also trained to address physical limitation that could lead to a fall. As you complete your treatment plan, you will experience greater confidence and better balance. • Mobility Leads to Balance Which Leads to Strength. Using targeted exercises, your physical therapist will help you regain your ability to move about with confidence and ease. By teaching you exercises that will improve balance as you stand still (static balance) and exercises for balance as you move (dynamic balance) you will improve muscle strength as well as your overall ability to move. • Flexibility & Posture. People with balance issues also tend to experience joint stiffness and posture problems that contribute to dizziness and vertigo. Your physical therapist will work with you to stretch tight muscles, improve flexibility in your joints and retrain your posture which will, in turn, improve your balance. • Train Your Vestibular System. The vestibular system can often times be the source of dizziness and plays a vital role in our balance system. At Mechanotherapy, we have therapists who specialize in vestibular rehabilitation to help reduce/alleviate your dizziness and get you back moving confidently. Vertigo is an unsettling experience. Fortunately, treatment is possible. Call us today at (503) 567-5771. With the help of MechanoTherapy, you can set the world right and reclaim your life. Sources: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24018742•www.enttoday.org/article/vertigo- in-the-elderly-what-does-it-mean•vestibular.org/node/10•www.apta.org/BalanceFalls/
WHAT OUR PATIENTS SAY SUCCESS STORIES
I was able to strengthen the neglected muscles, regain balance in my body, and I’m ready to go back
to playing right-handed with no pain at all!”
“I was telling my friends my right arm was just “over.” It ached all the time, even when I was just doing nothing. I couldn’t wash dishes without pain. I started playing racquetball left-handed, and thought that would be my life from now on. At MechanoTherapy, I learned thatmyfeelingwasactuallycommon inracquetandthrowingsports. Certainmuscleshadbecomesostrong, Ihaddevelopedan imbalance. Using exercises and physical manipulation, I was able to strengthen the neglected muscles, regain balance in my body, and I’m ready to go back to playing right-handed with no pain at all! Thanks so much, MechanoTherapy. ” – M. K.
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