Reducing your risk of

Falling

When your body strength or sense of balance is off, you are at increased risk of falling down. According to the  U.S. Centers for Disease Control, one out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury. 

There are many potential causes and sources of balance disorders, including decreased strength, decreased sensation, pain or after having surgery or injury. Inner ear disorders can also cause balance problems.

physical therapy for balance disorders

What Can You Do to Reduce Your Risk of Falling?

At Glencoe Regional Health, providers in our family medicine, internal medicine, and neurology departments can diagnose balance problems, assess fall risk and recommend interventions such as physical therapy, use of an assistive device such as a walker, or medication changes.

How Can Physical Therapy Help?

You may benefit from physical therapy to address balance problems if you have fallen recently or are concerned about the possibility of falling in the future. The goals for therapy will be specific to your situation, but may include:

  • Improving your ability to perform activities at home, school or work
  • Decreasing your risk of falling and being injured

What Can You Expect During Physical Therapy?

At the first visit, your physical therapist will perform a thorough evaluation to assess how your nerves, muscles and skeleton function together and better understand how these systems are affecting your strength, balance and ability to perform daily tasks without falling. Next, your physical therapist will create an individualized treatment plan based on his or her assessment of your condition. Your therapist will discuss the treatment plan with you, including the number of treatment sessions and activities that will be included in future therapy sessions to improve your strength and balance to avoid falling in the future.

Physical therapists use a number of different approaches to treat balance problems. For example, neuromuscular re-education is used to improve muscle control, balance and how your body moves. Therapeutic exercise involves stretching, strengthening and home exercise programs. Some of our physical therapists may also use the Dynavision D2 as part of your treatment plan.