As our bodies age, they go through a number of physical and mental changes that usually tend to make life more difficult. One of the more common issues that comes with older age is impaired balance, which can turn otherwise-normal everyday tasks—like getting out of bed or walking up the stairs—into major challenges. As a result, navigating through daily life requires much more effort and takes a great deal longer than someone was once used to. While this may sound like a nuisance, the good news is that a course of vestibular therapy from our Hyattsville physical therapists can effectively identify and treat just about any balance disorder that you might have.

A balance disorder is a problem that exists when an individual has difficulty keeping a stable and upright position when standing, walking, or sitting. Older adults are at a much higher risk for having balance disorders than any other age group, as approximately 75% of Americans 70 years and older have balance that is deemed “abnormal.” This means that one or more aspects of the person’s balance is in some way misaligned, which can cause them problems in everyday life.

Some of the most common factors that influence balance are muscle weakness, joint stiffness, inner ear problems, side effects of certain medications, keeping a sedentary lifestyle (staying seated frequently), or certain medical complications like stroke, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, arthritis, or cognitive diseases. In order for a balance disorder to occur, there must be a problem with the person’s vision, the inner ear, the muscular system or proprioception (knowing the position of one’s body), or some combination of these systems.

There are also a number of conditions that can cause dizziness and/or vertigo, with two of the most common being benign paroxysmal vertigo disorder and vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis. Both of these disorders occur due to different problems with the inner ear, and cause a change in the information being received by the brain from the vestibular system, which is the sensory system that provides the brain with information regarding the body’s sense of balance and orientation so it can coordinate our movements smoothly.

How a vestibular therapy program from our Hyattsville physical therapists can help

When a balance issue occurs, it feels as if the world around you is moving when it’s really not. As you can expect, problems with balance can prevent individuals from getting around and performing daily activities, which can lead additional health-related problems in the future. This is where our Hyattsville physical therapists come in, as they can address any balance impairment through what’s called vestibular therapy using a variety of strategies. Each program is different depending on the specific type of balance disorder, as well as the age and abilities of the patient, but most will consist of the following:

• First, a physical therapist will evaluate all parts of your body that affect balance—including the legs, ears, and eyes—to determine how much your balance is impaired; the resulting program will be based around this evaluation
• Gaze stabilization exercises: these exercises are designed to keep vision steady while making rapid side-to-side head turns while focusing on an object, which will help the brain adapt to new signaling from the vestibular system
• Balance retraining exercises: these types of exercises will have you shift your body weight in various directions while standing to improve the way information is sent to the brain
• Home-exercise program: your physical therapist will also create a program to be performed at home that includes these exercises and several others

Balance is something you may take for granted until a problem develops that compromises it, and your world along with it. Our Hyattsville physical therapists understand how frustrating this can be, and want to help you regain your balance and your normal life, too. So please contact CAM Physical Therapy and Wellness Services at 301-853-0098 to schedule an appointment at any of our three clinics in Laurel, Hyattsville, or Glenn Dale/Bowie today, and find out what we can do for your balance issue.