Balance Therapy

When might I need balance therapy?

To maintain your balance, your body gathers and coordinates information from three systems: vestibular (inner ear), visual, and somatosensory.

The somatosensory system includes sensors in your muscles, joints, and skin that convey information about touch, pressure, pain, position, movement, and vibration.

When something goes wrong in any part of these systems, you develop a balance disorder and may need balance therapy.

What symptoms indicate I need balance therapy?

You may need balance therapy if you have symptoms such as:

• Dizziness
• Vertigo
• Headaches
• Falling and stumbling
• Ringing in your ears
• Confusion
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Motion sickness

You may also develop uncontrollable eye movements, or nystagmus, that cause blurry vision or make stationary objects look like they’re jumping.

What is balance therapy?

Your body has a natural ability to compensate for balance problems, but it needs exercises that train it what to do. That’s what balance therapy is all about.

Balance therapy, also called vestibular rehabilitation, is an exercise program to treat your balance problem, reduce vertigo and dizziness, and lower your risk of falling.

Your physical therapist at ENT Specialists begins by performing specialized testing so they can create a customized therapy program that focuses on your specific balance challenges. 

There are many retraining exercises designed for specific balance problems. Your program may include techniques such as sensory organization or gaze stabilization (for nystagmus).

Another type of therapy, habituation exercises, diminishes dizziness through repeated exposure to the trigger causing the problem. 

What is the Fyzical® Balance and Fall Prevention Center?

ENT Specialists teamed up with the Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers to create a physical therapy program dedicated to helping patients overcome balance problems. 

The physical therapists at ENT Specialists work individually with each patient. They evaluate your balance problems, muscle strength, and gait, then develop a personalized physical therapy program using Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers protocols for:

• Gait training
• Balance retraining
• Fall prevention
• Manual therapy
• Functional training
• Overall fitness training 

Overall fitness training is just as important as balance training because many people with a balance disorder tend to avoid activities that trigger their dizziness. As a result, they lead a sedentary lifestyle that leads to muscle weakness, joint stiffness, and reduced stamina.

Improving your strength, coordination, and flexibility, combined with balance retraining, gives you more confidence in your ability to overcome balance disorders and return to an active life.

 If you develop dizziness or other balance problems, call ENT Specialists or schedule an appointment online.