Better Balance and How To Achieve It
Steven McCune, PT, PES
Procore Physical Therapy P.C.
A healthy person usually takes his or her sense of balance for granted. Most people don't find it difficult to walk along a gravel path, transition from walking on the sidewalk to the grass, or get out of bed in the middle of the night without stumbling or loosing their balance.
But for a person with poor balance, these simple tasks become a challenge and even a risk for falling.
The ability to balance depends on information that the brain receives from three different sources - the eyes, the muscles / joints, and the inner ears.
All three sources send information via the nervous system to the brain which processes and integrates it to control our balance.
These sources are interdependent for example, stand with your feet together and find your balance, now close your eyes and feel how much harder it is to balance. This happens because the visual input to the brain is subtracted.
A balance disorder is a disturbance in one or more of these three sources (eyes, inner ears, and muscles/joints) that causes a person to feel unsteady.
Some symptoms a person with a balance disorder may experience are: dizziness or spinning sensation (vertigo), falling or loss of balance, lightheadedness, and blurred vision. Others include nausea, vomiting, faintness, and changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
Causes of balance disorders include but are not limited to infections and poor circulation in the inner ear or brain, certain medications, injuries, and aging. Injuries to the eyes or joints, such as eye muscle imbalance or arthritis may also cause balance deficits.
Finding the cause of a balance disorder is complicated due to the many possible contributing factors. Anyone experiencing dizziness, loss of balance, or similar feelings should see a physician for an evaluation.
A primary physician may request the opinion of a neurologist or an otolaryngologist who specializes in disorders of the ear, head, and neck as they pertain to balance.
Balance disorders are treated by addressing the source of the problem, such as an ear infection. The challenge for the medical professional is to identify the source or sources of the disorder.
To help your doctor make a diagnosis, you can try keeping a list of symptoms with specifics about the nature of them in terms of how, when, and where you experience them. Also have your list of current medications.
Balance is often categorized into static balance and dynamic balance.
Static balance is one's ability to hold a position with limited movement.
Dynamic balance is maintaining body control while moving about.
Both types of balance can be evaluated for potential problems.
A person's balance can be improved by practicing tasks that challenge both static and dynamic balance. These tasks can come in the form of various exercises from simple ones to more specialized vestibular retraining. With practice of these exercises comes better balance by improving the function and interaction of the eyes, ears, and muscles/joints with the nervous system.
So if you are in search of better balance there are several steps to take.
For starters, have regular check-ups for your eyes and ears.
Don't neglect those painful muscles and joints, especially within the legs and feet.
If your balance is only a little off it may be righted with certain exercises that most physical therapists can advise or instruct you in.
If you have poor balance that persists, do seek examination by your primary physician and specialists if necessary.
Achieving better balance may be a challenge for most of us but worth it for all of us. As we all age, preventing falls becomes more and more important to our selves and to our loved ones.
Good luck and may the only fall be the coming season.