Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy Can Help Your Balance

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Have you been worried about your balance and want to learn what you can do to prevent a fall? Did you know you can check your balance to figure out why you feel unsteady? At Ohana Physical Therapy, we are experts at identifying any factor that may be affecting your balance, and, most importantly, we can give you the tools to get it back!

A lot of people experience changes in their balance after an injury or surgery, while others have an illness or a sedentary lifestyle at the root of the problem. Too often, people take their balance for granted or assume it is supposed to get worse as they get older. In reality, you can work on and improve balance, no matter your age.

Balance difficulties often start without reason or are so mild they go unnoticed until it is too late. For some, the feeling of instability or slight dizziness may be the start of something more severe and should be assessed by a physical therapist sooner than later.

Fortunately, most balance disorders are treatable with your Ohana Physical Therapy skills physical therapists. We can help you figure out the root of your problem and give you the tools to help you feel safe on your feet again!

Call today and request an appointment with one of our highly trained therapists!

What is balance, and what makes it a struggle for some?

Balance is defined as the ability to keep your body within the limits of your base of support (i.e., your feet). Maintaining balance while performing various daily activities requires the interaction of several interconnected systems in your body. The coordination of these systems is finely tuned, and any alteration to the precise timing can lead to disturbances in your balance.

The following systems are needed to help maintain our sense of balance:

  • Our inner ears: The sensors in our ears that monitor the directions of motion (i.e., turning, forward-backward, side-to-side, and up-and-down motions) make up the vestibular system. People with problems in the vestibular system experience vertigo.
  • The eyes: Our visual system is essential to help us identify where the body is in space and its movements in our environment. The eyes are responsible for a considerable percentage of the feedback we receive. If you want to see just how important your eyes are to your balance, try closing your eyes, or better yet, stand on one foot and close your eyes!
  • Our skin: The skin’s nerve receptors help provide information about how the body moves on different terrains. For example, on our feet, we have pressure sensors that give feedback about our walking surface. This helps our body gather information about the ground and any obstacles we may encounter.
  • The muscles and joints throughout the body: We all have sensory receptors in our muscles and joints that help sense what our body parts are doing. These sensors give messages to our brains to help us judge and adjust our movements by regulating the force and speed of our movements.

Our central nervous system takes information from these sources, processes it instantaneously, and elicits responses from our body to adjust to our environment through safe and efficient movements. The intricate balance of these systems allows our body to process the information in the most coordinated and efficient ways that ensure we maintain our balance in everyday life.

Your body must constantly integrate the interaction between your musculoskeletal and central nervous systems while standing, walking, changing positions, reaching, and anticipating movements. Any disruption to one or multiple systems will impair your ability to balance yourself.

It can sometimes be challenging to determine your balance issues’ exact cause(s), so getting a physical therapy assessment at Ohana Physical Therapy is vital to your health and well-being!

Our team will identify limitations in your balance and address them to minimize your risk of falling. The most common causes of balance impairments include:

  • Vertigo due to inner ear disorder
  • Visual disorders
  • Injuries to the head and neck
  • Weakness in leg muscles (i.e., related to aging, injury, or illness)
  • Age (people over 65 have an increased risk of falling due to balance deficits)
  • Arthritis (especially in the spine and lower extremities)
  • Neuropathies (i.e., diabetes)
  • Neurological disorders (i.e., stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, etc.)
  • Cardiovascular disease (i.e., low blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, congestive heart failure) 
  • Medications

Regardless of what may be causing your balance issues, our (town) physical therapy specialists can help you get to the root of your problems so you can stay steady on your feet!

What to expect at your Ohana Physical Therapy sessions

Our physical therapists at Ohana Physical Therapy will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to identify where you have limitations. Next, we will create a customized treatment plan to improve your balance based on your specific limitations.

In most cases, our physical therapists will start with treatments that focus on alleviating any pain and improving/restoring mobility. As you progress, the programs will shift to targeted balance and coordination drills that emphasize simulating the activities in your everyday life and address your specific limitations.

We will incorporate strengthening exercises that help improve your core and lower extremities to minimize fall risk and restore overall functional ability. Depending on your condition, your treatment plan may include vestibular rehabilitation or addressing the other systems affecting your balance.

At Ohana Physical Therapy, we diagnose movement and balance problems and focus on providing a personalized treatment plan to help you feel more steady and lower your fall risk.

Request an appointment with our balance specialists!

Our physical therapists have the extensive knowledge needed to identify and treat the source of your balance issues. If you’re looking for a comprehensive assessment and want help regaining the confidence you need to stay active and healthy, call Ohana Physical Therapy today!

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