Balance Problems In Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy is used to help with many problems someone may face. Walking, talking, and writing are very important in everyday life. However, one that is hardly talked about is balance problems. Balance problems affect many people yet they do not know they have it or how to treat it. Balance problems are conditions that make you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous. Balance problems are commonly caused by health conditions, muscle weakness, joint stiffness, heart conditions, or problems in the inner ear or brain. Balance can also be caused by stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, or a brain injury. Balance is mainly controlled by the Labyrinth in your inner ear. The parts that make up the inner ear is called the vestibular system (Disorders,
There are multiple causes but the main reasons are medical conditions and medications. To help measure a balance problem, doctors will recommend seeing a otolaryngologist--someone who specializes in the ear, nose and throat. They may take tests to decipher the causes of the problems. Otolaryngologist might want to take tests such as hearing exams, blood tests, electronystagmogram--measurement of eye movement and muscles--, imaging studies of your head and brain, or posturography. Posturography is a test that tests your body’s responses to a patterned screen. (Disorders,
The reason why is because most patients who have balance problems the source comes from the vestibular system. Vestibular rehabilitation is a form of therapy that can reduce the primary and secondary causes of the vestibular system. VRT is an exercise based therapy that helps reduce vertigo, dizziness, gaze instability, and/or imbalance and falls. For the majority of patients with a vestibular disorder the amount of restoration of function to the vestibular system is very small. However, that is not the case with patients who have vestibular system damage. Patients who have vestibular system damage will end up feeling better and be able function after a couple of sessions. The reason why this happens is because the brain learns how to use the other senses (vision and somatosensory) to replace the insufficient vestibular system. The health of some major parts of the nervous system (brain stem, cerebellum, visual, and somatosensory sensations) are very important in deciding the amount of recovery that can be gained through therapy. For many, balance will increase over time. Those whose balance does not increase and continue to have difficulty returning to everyday life will find improvements while using VRT. Most patients who do use VRT take from six to eight weeks of therapy about one to two times a week (Vestibular, 2017; Rehabilitation,