Balance Therapy
Balance Physical Therapy in Woodlands, TX
Bad falls are a constant worry for seniors and others who have physical challenges. And those worries aren’t unfounded. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths and serious health problems in the U.S.
If you have trouble with your balance, it can be hard to maintain a stable posture to stay upright while you stand, walk, or sit. These issues are more common in older adults and a very common topic at doctor’s appointments.
Without treatment, balance problems lead to falls, often with catastrophic results. Every year, one in three Americans over 65 falls and two-thirds of those will fall again within 6 months.
Physical therapists help people of all ages improve balance after accidents, injuries, because of illnesses, or simple aging. Your physical therapist at FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers - Woodlands, TX, starts with balance testing. They will develop a customized balance physical therapy treatment plan specifically for you and your condition that improves your strength, stability, and movements.
Improving your walking skills — technically known as your “gait” — and your balance are interrelated challenges. At FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers - Woodlands, TX, we help you master these skills to decrease your risk of injury while at the same time increasing your confidence and independence.
What Problems Require Physical Therapy Balance Exercises?
The specific symptoms that require physical therapy balance exercises vary between individuals because of the cause of the problem and how the patient experiences the issues. You may experience any combination of symptoms.
- Weakness in muscles
- Stiffness in joints
- Decreased mobility
- Inner ear issues
- Dizziness
Certain medicines, like those prescribed for depression or high blood pressure, may cause balance problems. Too much sitting or a general lack of activity, especially combined with aging, can cause balance problems.
Balance problems are also symptoms of specific medical conditions, such as:
- Arthritis
- Brain injuries
- Cognitive diseases that affect thinking or learning
- Strokes
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Diabetes
To keep your balance, several things in your body must work together. Your brain receives information and combines what it learns from your eyes, inner ears, and how you sense your body position to control your balance. Then your brain sends out signals to your muscles to tell them what to do to maintain your balance.
If one or more of these senses don’t function well, or if your muscles can’t respond to the information from your brain, you may have balance problems. Physical Therapy Balance Exercises and other modalities can help.
What are the benefits of balance and gait training at FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers - Woodlands, TX?
Balance and gait are inextricably linked because they tend to impact one another. Even if you don’t think you’re in danger of falling over, that “running out of steam” while walking that you’re attributing to aging muscles could be something else. The problem might actually be slowing reflexes, which make moving around seem more strenuous than it is. By the same token, poor posture and gait can throw off those reflexes.
In fact, the balance and gait systems both rely to some extent on a complex number of body systems that include the inner ear, the eyes, the joint-muscle-nerve system, and of course, cognitive functions. Therapy at FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers - Woodlands, TX, that improves gait and balance works with all of these systems to keep them functioning in harmony.
Gait and balance physical therapy has a range of benefits, with avoiding injuries being at the top of the list. Beyond lessening your chances of falling or feeling dizzy, you’re also more likely to feel confident with your footing. In addition, those aches and pains from poor posture are likely to decrease as well.
What do gait training and balance physical therapy entail?
First, at FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers - Woodlands, TX, we’ll evaluate your gait to determine potential problems with strength and posture. Simple movements to test balance are also part of the assessment. Together, these basic evaluations point us in the direction of what to focus on in terms of therapy.
Hip and ankle weakness often leads to balance problems, as does poor posture. Strength and flexibility movements can help counteract these problems. These are often as simple as leg lifts while seated in a chair or “knee marching.” We may also practice standing on one leg, walking heel-to-toe, or tracking the movement of your thumb with your eyes as you move it in various positions.
At FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers - Woodlands, TX, our therapists realize how important balance and walking are for independent living, as well as for work activities, exercise, sports and enjoying life in general.
That’s why we provide a range of programs and therapies to evaluate and treat balance disorders:
- Assessment and Evaluation Programs
- Difficulty Walking
- Gait Training and Balance Programs
- Fall Prevention and Balance Retraining
- Manual Therapy
- Fitness and Wellness Programs
- Vestibular Rehab
- Functional Training
- Physical Therapy Balance Exercises
Ready to “balance” your life again?
With our dedicated team of physical therapists behind you, you’ll regain confidence in navigating challenging terrain and learning how to avoid dizzy spells.
Contact us at FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers - Woodlands, TX, for an assessment or more information about balance therapy.
Balance Physical Therapy FAQs
What is Balance Therapy?
Balance therapy is a vestibular rehabilitation treatment that uses physical therapy balance exercises to improve symptoms of balance disorders which reduces the risk of falls.
What do they do at Balance Therapy?
Physical therapists teach exercises to support static balance and dynamic balance. Static balance is sitting or standing still, while dynamic balance is for walking and moving around. Many patients also require exercises and therapy to improve their reactions to balance disturbances, which helps to prevent falls.
What is Balance Therapy for Vertigo?
Balance physical therapy uses therapeutic exercises to help you with vertigo, balance problems, and dizziness.
Does Balance Therapy Work?
Yes! Overwhelmingly, balance therapy effectively improves symptoms of vestibular conditions like chronic dizziness, unilateral vestibular hypofunction, vestibular migraines, tension headaches, concussion, and others.