You should talk to your primary care provider about a referral to our balance therapy program for an assessment if you have:
- Fallen or been close to falling
- Changed your normal activities because you worry about your balance
- Experienced dizziness or unsteadiness
Our physical therapists treat balance and dizziness, working with other team members such as:
- Neurologists
- Otolaryngologists and neurotologists (ear, nose and throat specialists),
- Physiatrists
Balance therapy program
After your balance assessment, we will develop a plan with you. People often start with one or two therapy sessions weekly to work on strength, balance, and flexibility. Our team uses the latest equipment available, including a technology for balance treatment that specifically targets the improvement of slips and trips called The ActiveStep™ fall assessment and fall reduction system.
It is like a treadmill but it has a mobile harness and a belt around you to make sure you are safe as the machine simulates slips and trips. These motions help your body learn how to balance better in these situations. It is set up in an open area where you can walk and do exercises to improve your balance without falling. We also have a large gym with equipment for strengthening and balance training.
We perform a complete assessment including advanced technology to test your balance (Platform Posturography Testing with SMART Balance Master® EquiTest®). After your assessment, we will determine the best treatment that may include:
- Vestibular habituation and gaze stabilization exercises meant to help retrain your vestibular system - the area of your brain responsible for balance.
- Balance exercises to improve steadiness with walking and standing activities.
- Epley's canalith repositioning maneuver for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) - a technique that involves moving your head in specific directions to eliminate a spinning sensation when you move.