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What Kind Of Physical Therapy Helps Balance Issues

What Kind Of Physical Therapy Helps Balance Issues

Daily activities involve movements and motions, including sitting, standing, walking, and lying down. These motions come naturally to the body. Unfortunately, balance issues can occur due to several factors, impairing your daily activities.

This article discusses how the body achieves balance, the causes of balance disorders, and how physical therapy in Fort Worth can help with this disorder. Kindly read along.

What Are Balance Issues?

Balance issues result from the inability to maintain the body in a stable and upright position, even when moving or standing. If you have balance issues, you may feel like you are floating or spinning even when you are sitting, lying down, or standing. Other symptoms of balance issues include blurriness, dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion, and feeling like you may fall.

These issues may result from underlying conditions, including ear infections, head injuries, neurological disorders, aging, and blood circulation disorders. Furthermore, muscle weakness, lack of physical activity, and medical conditions like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes can cause balance disorders.

How Does The Body Achieve Balance?

The body achieves balance by combining the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems. The optical system comprises your eyes; the vestibular comprises your inner ear. The proprioceptive system includes your muscles and joints.

Visual System

The visual system sends your brain information about your body’s position whenever you move. This system helps you assess how far or near an object is from you. Unfortunately, people with impaired vision may have balance problems.

Vestibular System

The vestibular system is in your inner ear and sends your brain information about your head’s position. Each ear has a vestibular structure, so whenever you tilt your head, fluid in each structure rushes to one side, activating the nerves. The nerves communicate with the brain about your head’s position.

Proprioceptive System

The proprioceptive system relies on the nerve endings in your muscles and joints. These nerves message the brain, telling it how each muscle works on movement and your position relating to your surroundings.

Treatment Of Balance Disorders

Your doctor can diagnose balance disorders by asking several questions to ascertain the underlying conditions. You may also undergo tests that check your visual tracking, coordination, and movement.

The treatment for your balance disorder depends on the underlying cause. For instance, your doctor may change your dosage if the issue results from your medications. Other treatment methods include diet and lifestyle changes.

For more severe conditions, your doctor may recommend physical therapy in Fort Worth or surgery.

How Does Physical Therapy Help With Balance Issues?

Physical therapists treat balance issues by identifying the cause and creating a customized treatment plan. Physical therapy treatments help in improving strength and balance and preventing falls. The following physical therapy treatments can help balance issues;

Stretches

Stretching is a form of physical therapy that helps improve balance and coordination. This type of balance therapy also improves your range of motion and flexibility. Consequently, you have a better balance and control over your movements, reducing the risks of injury.

Your physical therapist may recommend exercises like the standing calf stretch, quad stretch, hip stretch, and hamstring stretch to improve your balance.

Vestibular Rehabilitation

This form of balance therapy in Fort Worth, TX, improves your vestibular system—the exercises involved in this therapy help to manage balance issues and dizziness. Furthermore, you may undergo activities that control dizziness, stabilizes your gaze, and improve your balance.

Vestibular rehabilitation exercises include eye and head movements when sitting or in bed. You may also walk up and down a slope or play games that involve aiming, stretching, and stooping.

Strength Training

Strength training involves doing exercises that strengthen the muscles that keep you upright. These exercises target the core and legs, and they improve stability. In addition, strength training involves activities that vary in intensity. It can be simply standing on one leg or challenging yoga poses.

Furthermore, your physical therapist may include exercises that simultaneously strengthen the connection between all three balance systems. Sometimes, your physical therapy may use special equipment to challenge and improve your balance.

Some strength exercises that train your balance include single-leg raises, squats, and sit-to-stand.

How To Prevent Balance Disorders

You can limit balance issues by moving. A sedentary lifestyle involves minimal activity, which affects your balance. It is best to carry out challenging physical activities such as walking, climbing the stairs, making your bed, and any activity that keeps you moving.

You can also prevent balance issues by managing chronic diseases like diabetes and following a healthy diet. It is also best to get frequent vision and hearing checkups.

Conclusion

Balance problems occur due to aging, lack of mobility, and medications. These problems are usually present with a lack of coordination, dizziness, and blurry vision. Your physical therapist can recommend treatments that improve your strength, coordination, and balance

The physical therapists at Barkman & Smith Physical Therapy in Bedford, TX, can work with you to develop customized balance therapy treatment plans. Your treatment may include exercises for stretching and strengthening your muscles, strengthening your inner ears, and improving your position awareness.

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