Physical Therapy For Gait & Balance In Delray Beach, FL

For anyone who is living a normal life, the body’s capacity to achieve balance may seem like a thing that one wouldn’t mind being indifferent about. Yet, balance is actually a very crucial ability of the human body and for living an overall healthy life, your body needs to constantly maintain a healthy level of balance. Every year the problems related to balance affect tens of millions of people that require some kind of medical intervention. There are several causes that contribute to problems in balance, ranging from intoxication to chronic health conditions.

What is balance?

In the simplest sense, balance refers to the ability of the body to be in a voluntarily controllable state counter to the force of gravity while doing any physical activity. Any kind of voluntary bodily movement thus wouldn’t be achievable without our body’s ability to attain balance. For achieving balance, our body has to constantly maintain the line of gravity within the base of support allowing for minimal sway in the body posture. Thus, the body can be termed to be in balance if it has the ability to control the center of mass. 

How does the body maintain balance?

The sensory system does the primary job of maintaining the body’s balance in coordination with the body’s musculoskeletal system. There are basically three sensory systems that control the function of balance in the human body. They include: 

Vestibular system: Primarily located in the inner ear, the vestibular system regulates the body’s equilibrium, also known as equilibrioception. What this does is that it helps prevent us from falling over when standing or moving. This system also regulates the directional information of the body based on the position of the head. 

Somatosensory system: This system involves the sensory organs that produce the perception of touch, as well as temperature and body position. With regard to balance, this system crucially involves the functions of proprioception which is the sense of self-movement, force, and body position. The system basically relays information about the body’s position to the brain and thereby allows it to conduct the appropriate motor response or movement.

Visual system: This system includes the sensory organs related to the eyes and vision. Based on the sensory input from the eye muscles, the balance in the organs in the vestibular system are referred to by the body for maintaining an overall balance.

Basically, the body achieves balance by processing the information obtained from the vestibular system and then sending the signal to the different organs of the body that respond to it like the eyes, joints, and muscles. Ultimately, it is these functions that allow for the body to maintain balance and have an awareness of the position of our body. 

What are balance problems?

Balance problems result in the body’s inability to comfortably maintain an upright position and move normally. This happens when you lose the capacity to control your body’s position and it can thus make you feel unsteady. Balance problems can cause discomforting experiences like dizziness or vertigo while moving or being still. In some cases, it can also cause blurred vision and disorientation. There can be several causes of balance problems, and in many cases, these issues tend to be temporary and do not even require medical intervention. Yet, some cases can be an indication of more serious issues like internal infection, stroke or tumor. Thus, if the problems feel severe and don’t improve with rest and normal painkillers, seeing a doctor is advisable.

Causes of balance problems

Many problems related to balance are often linked to issues in the inner ears, while damages to other systems responsible for maintaining balance can also be other causes. Usually, elder people tend to develop more issues related to balance. Some of the most common causes include the following:

– Traumatic injuries around the head or neck

– Infections in specific areas like ear, brain, upper nose, eyes

– Inner ear problems (labyrinthitis or Meniere’s disease)

– Blood circulation issues (low or high blood pressure problems)

– Low blood sugar

– Dehydration

– Reaction to specific medication or intoxicants

– Specific nervous system diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease)

– Pregnancy

Diagnosis of balance problems

Balance problems are diagnosed by doctors with the help of a physical exam. A physician will ask patients about the symptoms they are experiencing and their past medical history. They will also conduct a few tests, which include:

Balance Test

In this test, your doctor will make you move your head and body in certain ways so as to determine the area of the problem and the kind of disorder that is affecting you.

Ear test

An ear test will be used to identify if there is any issue in the ear, including hearing problems, and whether your vestibular region has been affected. 

Imaging

If necessary, your doctor may consider it necessary for you to perform an MRI or CT scan so as to determine if there are some deeper issues with your ears and brain.

Treatment of balance problems

Depending upon the cause and severity of the issue physicians will recommend different treatments to help patients facing balance problems. The following are the common treatment for balance problems:

Balance retraining: Also known as vestibular rehabilitation, balance retraining includes a customized plan that primarily includes exercises that can help you to compensate for your imbalance, adjust to lower levels of balance, and maintain physical activity. For some patients, a balance aid like a cane or a walker may also be recommended to lessen the risk of injuries from possible falls.

Positioning measure: For patients with conditions like Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), a physical therapist may also perform a canalith repositioning procedure which can help clear some residual particles sitting around your inner ears and instead deposit it into a separate area of the ear by manoeuvring the position of the head in specific ways.

Diet and lifestyle changes: Doctors may also recommend some dietary and lifestyle changes to address issues and ease symptoms caused by specific conditions like Meniere’s disease or migraines. Reduction in salt, caffeine, alcohol, etc. may also be recommended. On top of these, intake of more fluids and use of compression stocking may also be deemed necessary.

Medications: For some conditions like severe vertigo and ear infections, doctors can also prescribe you medications that can control your dizziness and other discomforting issues. 

Surgery: For the most severe cases or conditions, doctors may recommend surgery to address your balance problems. For example, if you have Meniere’s disease or acoustic neuroma, your doctor can recommend surgery.