The Benefits of Balance Therapy 

Balance is an important part of the body’s function. At FYZICAL Stone Oak, we believe balance is core to your wellness.  It’s what keeps us upright, helps us walk, and allows us to enjoy experiencing the world safely as we move around. For most people, body balance is a learned control that comes (and goes) with age. Babies learn how to crawl, then how to walk, and eventually grow into children who learn how to use their balance to run, play, engage in sports, and more.

But what happens when your balance isn’t where it should be? There are all manner of reasons that the body’s balance could be off, including injury, inner ear problems, and so much more. With physical therapy, you can improve your balance, regardless of the cause.

What is Balance Therapy?

Balance therapy, also sometimes called vestibular therapy or vestibular rehabilitation, is designed to help improve your body’s overall physical ability. This can help prevent falls and injuries, improve your posture and strength, and increase your overall coordination and balance so that your body is more capable of working as it should.

There are several different types of exercises that are used to help with this type of training. Most people will work with a physical therapist to determine an exercise routine that works for their needs. This type of training will offer outcomes like:

• Improved physical function
• Strengthened balance and bodily control
• Improved quality of life

Proper balance and bodily support are necessary for your body to work as it should. For those who are active, balance remains intact more naturally because they’re constantly using their bodies and keeping things moving. For those with sedentary lifestyles, things like reaching down into cupboards, going up and down stairs, and even taking a shower can become issues when balance problems arise.

At FYZICAL Stone Oak, we use proprietary balance paradigms to treat the areas where you need the most support. Your physical therapist will administer clinical tests to determine what areas of your balance need to be addressed and then create an individualized treatment plan.

Balance Testing

Your physical therapist will perform several tests and ask you to do multiple movements in order to determine where you’re at and what type of exercises would be most effective. Depending upon the patient, the following are potential testing methods:

• 4-Stage Balance Test
• Falls Risk Assessment
• Berg Balance Scale
• Timed Up and Go Test
• Functional Reach
• Short Physical Performance Battery
• Balance Outcome Measures for Elder Rehabilitation
• Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment
• Balance Evaluation Systems Test
• Wearable Sensor Testing
• Motion Capture Analysis
• Force Plate

These tests, along with a proper and thorough examination, will help physical therapists determine the best exercise plan for each individual based on their unique needs.

Balance Therapy Exercises

Experts advise that older adults attend three to five sessions of balance training per week, for up to eight weeks, in order to see maximum results. Programs usually start off slowly and work their way up in intensity, making it easy for newcomers to adjust and gradually improve their balance and coordination. Your PT will work with you to come up with a plan that factors in these elements along with your specific needs.

The exercises that are most effective for balance training include those that have:

• Different standing surfaces
• Static vs. dynamic poses
• Changes in the base of support
• Variations in your center of gravity height

Balance therapy often starts with simple exercises like standing on one leg or standing and sitting from a chair with no hands, and will eventually work up to more complex exercises and utilize tools like balance boards to challenge and further improve your body’s balance.

Some common balance exercises include:

• Standing and sitting in a chair without using your hands or arms.
• Standing on one leg with the other raised.
• Tandem stance – putting your feet heel-to-toe in front of the other.
• Alternating knee lifts while walking.
• Balance boards and other equipment that can further improve your strength.
• Yoga and Tai Chi, which are focused on centering the body and building a strong core.
• The Otago Exercise Program, which is designed specifically for balance training.
• Perturbation-based balance training, using postural perturbations to improve rapid reactions related to balance.

This is just an example of what you can expect from balance therapy. When you work with a FYZICAL Stone Oak physical therapist, you can trust that you’ll get a tailored training program to help you improve your balance to its maximum capability, no matter what issues caused the problems in the first place.

Common Balance Problems

Several issues can arise up that cause a person to have difficulty maintaining their balance, either while moving or sitting still. There are five systems in the body that are usually responsible for balance issues. If one or more of them aren’t working correctly, you will probably see several noted effects on your balance.

Vision

Vision issues, including age-related degeneration, eye tracking issues, and eye diseases can cause issues with balance. The eyes are unable to keep up with the neurological responses, creating vertigo and balance problems.

Inner Ear

This is one of the most common sources of (mostly) benign balance problems. The vestibular system in the ear can be damaged or improperly functioning, which can lead to all kinds of dizziness and instability. These issues can result from disease, poor nutrition, age, and trauma.

Muscular System

When you sit too much or just don’t exercise, you lose muscle strength and flexibility. This can also happen as a result of certain diseases, like cancer, and can lead to issues with balance, walking, coordinating movements, and more.

Circulation

Have you ever stood up too quickly and gotten a sudden rush of dizziness? When the blood pressure drops suddenly, it can lead to this feeling. When people have serious and ongoing circulation issues related to heart disease and other conditions, their circulation can be impacted and lead to balance problems.

Proprioception

This is the awareness of your own body and its positioning. When you lose this or it becomes abnormal, that can cause all manner of balance issues. This can happen as a result of diseases like diabetes or even trauma.

Causes and Conditions

The causes of these balance problems are varied and could have several sources, but typically include things like:

• Joint stiffness
• Muscle weakness
• Decreased range of motion
• Inner ear problems
• Sedentary lifestyles (too much sitting)
• Aging
• Certain medications

Some common medical conditions and injuries can lead to balance problems, too:

• Stroke
• Parkinson's Disease
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Arthritis
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Diabetes
• Cognitive Diseases

As you can see, all manner of ailments and issues can lead to balance problems. The root cause will always be taken into account when creating your customized balance training program. The training plan for someone with a disease-related balance issue is going to be different from someone who is just struggling with limited mobility and aging, for example.

Who Can Benefit from Balance Therapy?

Anyone who does not have good balance could benefit from this type of therapy. Older adults, those recovering from trauma, and anyone diagnosed with a balance issue or condition that causes balance problems will find this to be a great support. Regardless of your age or condition(s), there are several benefits that come from balance therapy.

Fun fact: how long you can stand on one leg has actually been used as an indicator of longevity. The better your balance, the more youthful you’ll feel.

Improved Balance

A lot of us take balance for granted, but it’s not something that everyone has. As the body ages, coordination continues to deteriorate and that can lead to even more troubles over time. With proper training, you can improve your balance and help your body feel more youthful and capable.

Prevent Falls

When your body cannot balance itself, falling happens more often. This is prevalent in older adults who may suffer from any number of ailments or conditions that cause balance issues. A lack of mobility or limited range of motion can also increase fall risk. Having strong balance can reduce fall risks and improve peace of mind for those who have struggled in the past.

Improve Posture

When you train to improve your balance, you are also improving your core muscles. Poor posture is running rampant around the world and smart devices aren’t helping. Hunched shoulders are the most common sign of poor posture, which can also lead to shoulder, head, and neck pain. Balance therapy can improve your posture because you can’t have one without the other.

Injury Recovery

When your body is in better condition, it’s more able to recover from injuries and ailments. Balance therapy can provide quicker healing, especially for physical injuries that may be related to balance issues. It can also help you prevent future injuries by improving your body’s strength and capabilities.

Improved Coordination

The body naturally has (or had) a lot of coordination built into it. However, as the world becomes more sedentary, a lot of that “natural” coordination is being lost. When you employ balance training, you can help restore that loss and improve your body’s overall coordination and reflexive responses.

Increased Mobility

When your balance is better, you’ll feel more agile. You’ll be able to move around more freely and experience less pain and discomfort as a result. Your physical therapist will choose the exercises that are most likely to help you improve mobility based on your needs, while also improving your balance.

Increased Activity

When people address their balance problems, they also address a lot of fears, concerns, and issues that have been holding them back from living their best lives. As you get into your PT routine, you’ll start to notice that you’re feeling more active and capable, and you might want to go out and do more things. Perhaps you’ll start walking or hiking, or even just get back to doing the things you used to love.

Improved Quality of Life

All of this leads to a much-improved quality of life for the individual. When you are dealing with something like balance problems, it may be difficult to enjoy everyday activities or carry on as you would. Perhaps you used to love bowling, but your balance doesn’t allow you to do it anymore. Maybe you just want to be able to live alone without the risk of falling.

Whatever the case may be, the biggest benefit of balance training is that it gives people their lives back and lets them engage in a more active lifestyle moving forward.

How to Prevent Future Issues

In addition to your current balance therapy treatment, your PT will also advise you on ways that you can reduce future risks with balance and coordination. These include things like physical activity, and especially avoiding a sedentary lifestyle. Simple changes can make a big difference:

• Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Stand on one leg, alternating legs, for as long as you can hold it.
• Mow the lawn with a walk-behind mower.
• Go for a walk down the street.
• Park further away from the store entrance.
• Practice stretching and basic yoga poses daily.

You’ll also want to manage your chronic diseases that may be impacting your balance and get yearly checkups to ensure that your vision, hearing, and overall health are in a good place.

Final Thoughts

Balance is essential for the body to be able to function. Many people have undiagnosed or unaddressed issues that may be impacting their quality of life more than necessary. At FYZICAL Stone Oak, we can work with you to address the causes of your balance deficiency and proper therapy can help improve them.

Make sure that you choose a reputable PT that is experienced with balance therapy so that you get the best outcomes. No matter the cause, balance therapy can help you to get your body back on track.  At FYZICAL Stone Oak, balance-certified physical therapists are ready to help you Love Your Life!