A wide range of health conditions can cause disorientation and dizziness, causing you to lose your balance. These episodes can significantly impact your life by making working or completing daily tasks more challenging. But it is possible to retrain the systems in your body through physical therapy to help improve your balance and coordination.
How Do I Know I’m Experiencing Imbalance?
Dizziness is one of the first indications that something is not right inside your body. You may feel unsteady or lose your balance when trying to sit or stand. You may feel lightheaded, or your vision may become dark or blurry. If you’re trying to move across the room, you may need to hold onto the walls or use a cane or walker, feeling that you might fall and injure yourself without these aids. These symptoms need to be addressed promptly.
When to Seek Help
It’s normal to experience dizziness occasionally, particularly on a hot day or when you’re suffering from a lack of sleep. But if it’s happening frequently, seek medical attention to rule out health conditions such as an ear infection, diabetes, thyroid disease, or malnutrition. A correct diagnosis is essential to develop a suitable treatment plan. You may also need additional help with physical therapy, especially for muscle weakness or joint stiffness.
What Causes Imbalance?
Every system in your body works together to achieve proper balance. It’s a combination of muscles, joints, eyes, and ears. One crucial area lies deep inside your inner ear. It is a small and delicate set of sensory organs called the vestibular system. This system provides a sense of balance and information about your body position, allowing rapid compensatory movements in response to self-induced and externally generated forces. Any disruption in the vestibular system results in dizziness and vertigo.
How to Improve Balance & Coordination
When you book your appointment at a physical therapy clinic, you will be offered a wide range of exercises to help improve your balancing skills. Yoga and Tai Chi are slow-moving exercises that can help you focus and improve your balance. You may also be encouraged to do gaze stabilization and gait training. Habituation and musculoskeletal techniques can all assist you.
Have you experienced problems balancing? Carolina Chiropractors can help. After a thorough evaluation, we can develop a treatment plan to strengthen your weak areas and improve balance and mobility. Contact us and schedule an appointment today. Soon, you’ll feel more confident returning to your regular daily activities.
