10 hours Ago By Kevin Shelley
To celebrate the last few days of the fall season, I thought an article on falls would be timely. Specifically, I want to focus on the vestibular aspect of falls. The vestibular system provides our sense of balance and body position in space and helps us compensate in response to outside and deliberate forces or movements.
The following are some of the exercises we use clinically to maximize balance related to the vestibular system. Falls are a tremendous generator of new clients in the rehabilitation setting. They naturally become more likely as we age, and vestibular problems can further increase our chances of falling.
Let’s start with a quick discussion of the different balance systems. Sensation: Joint sensation and tactile feedback from your body—especially your feet—help you with balance and positional orientation. Vision: Your eyes provide a very real—and real-time—feedback mechanism.
Inner Ear or Semicircular Canals: F luid-filled canals help determine your head’s positional orientation in space and contribute to balance. Practice Tips: These exercises can make you quite swimmy-headed at first, but you’ll soon get a handle on them and improve with practice. Since all the exercises are performed standing, consider being near a support point, such as a wall, counter, or chair.
This exer cise series focuses on general strengthening and fine-tuning your vestibular system, not specific diagnoses. Many factors can contribute to dizziness and instability, so if you are experiencing dizziness and feelings of instability or worry about falling when standing or walking, I highly recommend you speak with a medical professional. These exercises work well for my patients, but you might wish to speak with your medical professional to ensure they are right for you.
1. Head Nods If you get dizzy, pause until your head clears. At firs t, don’t focus on anything in particular as you perform the movements.
Once you feel comfortable doing that, retry the exercise while concentrating on a single spot on the wall in front of you. This is known as gaze stabilization and helps develop and preserve balance. 2.
Lateral Head Flexion 3. Left/Right Head Turning With Gaze Stabilization 4. Walking Gaze Stabilization 5.
Tandem Stance/Tightrope 6. Pillow Stands.
