With Balance Disorders and Fall Risk
What Are the Symptoms of a Balance Disorder?
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:
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- 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.
What Causes Balance Disorders?
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.
Our Specialty
Common Diagnoses We Work With Include:
- 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
Treatment for Balance Disorders
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 here at Bryant Physical Therapy™.
How Our Physical Therapists Can Help
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
Education is Therapy
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.
Positional Vertigo – A Common Cause of Dizziness & Balance Disorders
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.
What Is the First Step?
Start By Scheduling an Evaluation Appointment.
Don't Wait - Get Started Right Now!
Clinical research shows that the sooner you get started with active rehabilitation, the less likely you will need unnecessary tests, medications, or surgery.
Call Us Today at (706) 698-3000
At your evaluation appointment, you will meet with a physical therapist who will perform a thorough evaluation that includes:
- A review of your health history and your specific symptoms.
- A thorough examination that includes assessing the quality and quantity of your movements, and any factors that might put you at risk for delayed recovery or might indicate a serious health problem.
- Assessment of how you use your body at work, at home, during sports, and at leisure.
- Determination of the diagnosis and impairments that are causing your pain and establishment of a treatment plan of care.
Reviews
What Our Clients Say
Early in October I began Physical Therapy after Reverse Shoulder Replacement Surgery in Atlanta by noted surgeon Robert Titelman, who referred me to Bryant Physical Therapy of Ellijay, and I’m most grateful he suggested the Bryant people. I was assigned to a therapist (Brett) and an assistant (Melinda) who have stayed with me for two sessions weekly for the past 12 weeks. I have been a patient and a wellness client of Bryant Physical Therapy since 2003. I have personally had both knees and left hip replaced. I have had neck surgery as well. My rehab with Bryant Physical Therapy has been excellent on all occasions. Larry, Mike, Brett and Sherri have been knowledgeable, caring and concerned about my recovery every step of the way. As a teacher and coach for 30+ years I have had the opportunity to interact with many physical therapists. I would recommend Bryant Physical Therapy over anyone else. Their knowledge is superior. They spend time with each patient and work to achieve the best outcome possible. They are very fortunate to have 3 outstanding techs working for them. Melinda, Sonya and Priscilla have a tremendous amount of experience and expertise between them. They are more than capable of managing the exercises and therapy that are prescribed. For the past 8 years I have been a wellness patient at Bryant Physical Therapy. I go 5 days a week. I have watched the therapists working with patients for literally hundreds of hours. They have been knowledgeable and caring with each patient. I have seen them having discussions with each patient. From personal experience they have changed exercises and therapy methods to help me achieve my goals. I have seen many patient’s come to Bryant’s Physical Therapy because of an unsatisfactory result from other therapists. I would recommend Bryant Physical Therapy no matter what your age or physical problem.
Both my surgeon and I have been extremely satisfied with the results. My range of motion and my strength have increased dramatically as measured by regular evaluations and I look forward to returning soon to complete regular activities. They have been thoroughly professional, yet personal, challenging yet kind.
The support staff has tailored my sessions to my schedule and the facilities are extremely clean and state of the art. I would recommend Bryant Physical Therapy to anyone who needs Physical Therapy. I am 82 years old.