A Matter of Balance Balance is one of those things that we always take for granted…until it’s a problem! There are many things that can cause or contribute to a balance problem. Here’s a condensed list of the more common ones: • Leg weakness • Loss of sensation in the feet (peripheral neuropathy) • Lack of activity (“coach potato”) • Adverse effects of medication • Benign Positional Vertigo • Chemotoxicity • Parkinson’s disease • Multiple Sclerosis • Arthritis • Inner ear disorders • ADHD • Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disorder • Head injury or bleeding on the brain • Labyrinthitis (vertigo) • Lyme disease • Anemia • Stroke • Asperger’s syndrome • Alcohol abuse • HIV • Osteoporosis • Injury to the back, hip, leg, knee, ankle, or foot • Wilson’s Disease • Blood pressure problems • Diabetes • Low blood sugar • High blood sugar • Abnormal heart rhythm …and that’s just the short list! It is a little known fact that the leading cause of accidental death in those over age 65 is falling. The other two leading causes are accidental drug overdose and motor vehicle accidents, which both decrease as we get older. However, the risk and frequency of falling goes up as we age. Unfortunately, sometimes not enough consideration and analysis goes into figuring out why someone fell; instead, we tend to focus on the injury itself. For example, if a person fell and fractured their hip, it becomes an emergency to control the bleeding and repair or replace the hip. However, if that person is falling for a reason and that reason is not addressed, it may happen again and again. We seem to focus on the injury from the fall and not the cause of the fall in the first place. The other thing is, people seem to assume that once your balance is lost, it is gone forever. Worse yet, people may say that they have poor balance and state “I’ve always been a little clutzy.” They have a fall, get badly injured, and blame themselves—not a good situation. The fact is, in most cases, balance can be taught and improved to reduce the risk of falling. There are many studies that show that this is true. The idea of a balance training program is to develop balance skills using vision, sensation from the body (especially the legs and feet), and the vestibular system. This improves balance and prevents falling. How does your balance system work? The ability to maintain balance is a complex process that depends on three main things: 1.) Your sensory systems: vision, muscle and skin, and vestibular (inner ear) for accurate information about your body, 2.) Your brain’s ability to process this information, 3.) Your body’s ability to respond appropriately and move to maintain your balance. How do you lose balance? A person with a balance problem may have problems in any of these areas. The risk of developing problems increases with age as our senses and brain processing become diminished due to disease, inactivity, or injury. It is not inevitable that we develop a balance problem as we age, however. It’s not uncommon for individuals with a balance problem to regain their balance through accurate diagnosis and treatment using specific exercises. One famous example is astronaut John Glenn. Following his historic space flights in the 1960s, he developed balance problems that disqualified him from future service. After a specific rehabilitation program he was able to return to space flight at age 77 and he performed as well as his younger colleagues. You can recover from balance disorders and regain your control, and you can do this even at an advanced age. In fact, our new technology, called the Balance Master system, was the same system used to treat John Glenn, and we have it right here in Cumberland! Some disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease are not curable; however, using a specific analysis of the problem, studies have shown that balance programs can be used to improve balance even in these patients. At TriState Hand & Occupational Therapy, Inc., we employ a Balance Master “force plate” system to accurately measure functional balance for standing, walking, and various activities. It scientifically measures the amount of sway and instability that occurs in the body with standing and walking. These extremely accurate measurements help us develop a specific program of exercises designed to address your specific balance problem. Using this technology takes the guess work out of the process and helps speed up the progress of developing balance skills. The patients also enjoy the balance exercises that are done each time they come to therapy, and we’ll develop a home program to help you keep your new balance skills! It has been particularly rewarding to see those with peripheral neuropathy (numbness of the feet) regain some sensation with the Anodyne Infrared Light Therapy, and then show—with detailed measurements—that their balance improves as well. For many of them, it has allowed them to live independently and stay out of the nursing home, which, needless to say, is very important to them. If someone you know (or you yourself!) has a balance problem, don’t wait until they fall and hurt themselves! Give us a call today at (301) 759-4263 and schedule an appointment to get their balance checked and prevent a problem. We will be happy to answer any questions about our procedures, or about billing. We are providers with Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, Maryland Physician’s Care, and many others. Give us a call and let us help you handle your problem today! Tips • Accidental falls are the leading cause of death in those over age 65 • Losing your balance due to aging can be reversed, in most cases • The Balance Master system used at TriState Hand & Occupational Therapy was originally designed to evaluate the treatment of astronauts for balance • Balance problems can be measured in a highly accurate and functional way that allows us to understand the problem and treat it more effectively • The therapy for balance training is safe, effective, and yes, fun! Give it a chance and you will like it. Who knows, you might even dance again! |
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