Adding Balance Therapy Is the New Normal to Keep Your Lifestyle Active
Have you noticed you don’t feel as steady on your feet as you used to? Did you know physical therapists are highly skilled at reducing the risk of falling? Our team at SMART Sports Medicine provides comprehensive physical therapy treatments, including balance and fall prevention programs that can be added to your normal routine!
Muscle weakness, previous history of falling, and reduced physical fitness are some of the most common risk factors that often lead to falls. As we get older, falls become one of the leading causes of serious injury and mortality.
Exercise programs designed by our highly skilled physical therapists can not only help to prevent falls, but they can also prevent injuries caused by falls, including the most severe ones. The stronger and healthier you are, the more able you can recover from a fall or injury.
Our SMART Sports Medicine physical therapists will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to identify your needs and then design a program tailored to your abilities and limitations.
Contact SMART Sports Medicine today to request an appointment and learn how we can assess your balance and reduce your risk of falling so you can maintain your active lifestyle!
What are the systems in the body responsible for balance?
Balance is the ability to keep your body within the limits of your base of support (i.e., your feet). Maintaining your balance while performing your normal daily activities requires the body to coordinate, with precise timing, the different systems in our bodies so we can respond to environmental changes.
The following systems interact to help maintain our sense of balance:
- Inner ears: Sensors that make up our vestibular system monitor the directions of motion (i.e., turning, forward-backward, side-to-side, and up-and-down motions).
- Eyes: The visual system observes where the body is in space and its moving directions.
- Skin: Nerve receptors inform how the body moves on different terrains. In the feet, pressure sensors give feedback telling our body information about the ground and any obstacle we may encounter.
- Muscles and joints: These sensory receptors in our muscles and joints sense what body parts are moving and help regulate the force and speed of our movements.
The central nervous system is responsible for processing all the information from all the different sources to ensure we adapt to environmental changes. These interconnected systems are needed so our body can adjust appropriately, and so we maintain our balance.
We often take for granted the body’s amazing ability to constantly assess and process this information until it’s too late, and we suffer from a fall. When functioning properly, the interaction between your musculoskeletal and central nervous systems effectively and efficiently controls your balance while standing, walking, changing positions, reaching, and even anticipating movements.
Any disruption to one or multiple systems will impair your ability to balance yourself. Determining the causes of your balance deficits can sometimes be challenging, so getting a physical therapy assessment is very important. Our team will identify limitations in your balance and address them to minimize your risk of falling.
What to expect at your SMART Sports Medicine physical therapy sessions
Our physical therapists at SMART Sports Medicine will conduct a comprehensive evaluation to identify where you have limitations. In addition, we will also conduct a balanced assessment to identify all the factors influencing your condition and gauge your problem’s nature.
The most effective way to determine your risk of falling is through a comprehensive assessment. A clinical assessment conducted by our team of physical therapists can determine what factors may or may not be contributing to your fall risk.
Our multifactorial approach usually consists of:
- A review of fall history
- An examination of gait, balance, mobility, and muscle weakness
- An assessment of perceived functional ability and fear of falling
- Assessment of visual impairment and effects of corrective eyewear
- Home hazards/environment assessment
- A cardiovascular exam including resting heart rate checks, active heart rate check
- A medication review
Next, we will create a customized treatment plan to improve your balance based on your limitations. Our programs will likely include targeted balance and mobility exercises emphasizing activities that address your limitations. We will incorporate strengthening exercises that help improve your core and lower extremities to minimize fall risk and restore overall mobility.
Depending on your condition, your treatment plan may include vestibular rehabilitation or addressing the other systems affecting your balance. Drills that stimulate the nervous system can help you achieve the best outcomes.
We are here to help you regain your independence and quality of life for years to come!
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 SMART Sports Medicine today!
Sources:
- https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/balance-disorders
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206229/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31813696/
- https://www.cdc.gov/falls/facts.html
- https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6234
- https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-019-1359-9
- https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-020-01041-3