Dizziness is one of the leading complaints patients take to their physicians, only second to lower back pain. 40% of adults experience dizziness or imbalance at some point in their life and in 2000, falls among elderly individuals accounted for 10,200 deaths and 1,600,000 emergency department visits!

Anyone suffering from a balance or dizziness disorder will tell you how profoundly it can disrupt their daily lives. Your balance is vital to normal daily activities such as walking, getting out of a chair and picking up an object off the floor. Often we hear people say, “There is nothing that will improve my balance or dizziness,” or, “impaired balance and dizziness are a part of aging.”  We feel it is important to dispel these statements and inform people of ways to prevent and treat balance and dizziness disorders.

This information can help you to gain a bit of understanding as to what causes these problems. Dizziness is usually caused by dysfunction in the inner ear system, called the vestibular system. Your vestibular system, (your main balance center) depends on three main systems: 1) your sensory systems for gathering information about your body's position in the environment, 2) your brain to process the information, and 3) your muscles and joints to coordinate movements required to maintain your balance. Your sensory systems include your sense of touch vision and your inner ear. Our feet  tell us if the ground is moving or uneven. Our eyes tell us if the environment is moving or still and we rely on our inner ears to tell us if we are moving, standing still, upright or leaning one direction or another. For a person with a balance disorder, any one of these systems or multiple systems can be impaired. Decreased activity levels, decreased strength and flexibility, history of prior surgeries, arthritis and neurological diseases can also affect your overall balance.

Here is a Balance Self Test you can do for yourself:
Have you fallen in the last year?

Do you take medication for two or more of the following diseases: heart disease, arthritis, anxiety, depression or hypertension?

[ ] Do you experience dizziness or feel unsteady?

[ ] Have you had a stroke or other neurological problem affecting your balance?

[ ] Do you have numbness in your legs and/ or feet?

[ ] Do you use a walker or wheelchair or need assistance to get around?

[ ] Do you have difficulty rising from a seated or lying position?

If you answered “yes” to one or more, you may have a balance problem and should see out professional care to help you handle the problem.

What will happen in Balance and Vestibular Therapy?

A thorough evaluation should be done on your first visit. This includes observing posture, balance, movement and compensatory strategies. After the evaluation a treatment plan can be developed.

The treatment plan should include:

Information about your condition

Exercises and activities to be performed during therapy sessions and at home

Ways to increase safety and independence at home, work and in the community

Adaptive equipment recommendations

Information on national support organizations for people with dizziness and balance disorders

Get Your Life Back!

We see patients with many different causes of balance loss and dizziness. Most of these conditions are treatable if you are given the proper education, exercises and treatment techniques.

The physical therapists at Friendship Heights Rehabilitation Center have experienced success working with individuals diagnosed with balance and vestibular disorders, as well as those who are at risk. Our physical therapists take pride in helping patients overcome various physical disorders so as to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

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