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Welcome to our center of excellence...
We have a state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment center for patients with dizziness and balance disorders.
Left to right: Nancy Brooks, VR Tech; Chris Wash, RPT; and Ashley Young, LPTA
BALANCE DISORDERS
How can I tell if I have a balance disorder?Most balance disorders are complex in their presentation which can lead to confusion in finding an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment for your particular problem.
Symptoms of balance disorders include, but are not limited to:
• vertigo (a sensation of the room spinning)
• nausea
• tinnitus (a ringing or roaring sound in one or both ears)
• a “full” feeling in your head
• neck pain
• headaches
• numbness or tingling sensations around your head and face
• blurred vision
• disequilibrium (an inability to maintain balance related to the use of your legs or trunk)
• light-headedness
The presence of any of these symptoms does not necessarily mean that you absolutely have a balance disorder, but exploring these symptoms can help isolate and resolve any balance “conflicts” that you might have prior to developing a true balance disorder. It is always easier to treat a problem before it becomes more involved and intense and can save you irritation in the future.
What causes a balance disorder?
There are hundreds of different reasons that people develop balance disorders. These reasons range from clearly defined, traumatic events to very subtle changes in daily activities or even lack of activity. Your balance system draws information from several different systems in your body in order to make accurate decisions and maintain your balance. A disease process or injury to any one of these systems can create symptoms.
Certain medical conditions can cause dizziness, because they affect the systems that maintain balance. For example, the inner ear is very sensitive to changes in blood flow. Because medical conditions such as high blood pressure or low blood sugar can affect blood flow, these conditions are frequently accompanied by dizziness. Circulation disorders are the most common causes of dizziness. Other causes are head injury, ear infection, allergies, and nervous system disorders.
Dizziness often disappears without treatment or with treatment of the underlying problem, but it can be long term or chronic. If a problem is not addressed it can become a chronic issue with your balance system. According to the National Institutes of Health, 42% of Americans will seek medical help for dizziness at some point in their lives. The costs may exceed a billion dollars and account for five million doctor visits annually. Episodes of dizziness increase with age. Among people aged 75 or older, dizziness is the most frequent reason for seeing a doctor.42% of Americans will seek medical help for dizziness at some point in their lives.
How do I find out more about my balance disorder?
The largest misconception regarding balance disorders is in the diagnosis or “naming” of a particular disorder. Many of the signs and symptoms of specific balance problems are relatively similar and can be mistaken for one another. It is also confusing for a patient to have different physicians diagnose different problems with each visit. The only true way to have an accurate and specific diagnosis is to undergo a thorough balance evaluation including specialized balance tests.
The process should begin with your primary care physician or a physician that has experience with balance disorders. Dr Steve Harris is the founder of the Physician’s Balance Center and particularly enjoys helping patients with these problems. All of the physicians in our practice, however, have expertise in diagnosing and managing patients with balance disorders.
The series of tests that we offer to fully evaluate your balance system include:
• Eletronystagmography (ENG)
• Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP)
• Vestibular Autorotation Testing (VAT)
• Audiogram
• Tympanometry
What types of problems can I have with my balance system?
Specific balance disorders or problems are typically characterized by the part of your balance system that is affected, but can also include disease processes that cause those deficits or disorders. The two most common disorders that are not characterized by the deficits found in the testing process are Meniere’s Disease and Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV).
Now that I know what type of Balance Disorder I have, what can I do about it?
In the past, the accepted treatment for most balance disorders was to suggest that patients try to remain active and the problem will eventually “go away” or to decrease the symptoms through the use of medication. The most popular medications for dizziness are Antivert (Meclizine) or low doses of Valium. These medications are considered Vestibular Supressants which means that they act to “numb” your balance system, much like pain medications “numb” pain. The drawback to these medications is the fact that they only give symptomatic relief, if any relief. They do not act to correct the balance conflict and can actually make a patient more prone to falls or balance problems if used continuously over long periods.
Vestibular Rehabilitation... involves the practice of resolving balance disorders through the use of specific prescribed exercises and activities.
The latest techniques in treating balance disorders are utilized in a field of practice called Vestibular Rehabilitation (VR). Vestibular Rehabilitation is a specialty of some Physical and Occupational Therapists that involves the practice of resolving balance disorders through the use of specific prescribed exercises and activities. These exercises and activities vary greatly depending on the level of function required by an individual patient’s daily activities and the specific deficits or problems with a patient’s balance system.
How does Vestibular Rehabilitation Work?
Vestibular Rehabilitation is designed to promote compensation or “natural adjustment” to a wide variety of balance disorders.