Good news, there is help for dizziness or feeling wobbly on your feet!
Working with a physical therapist who has a special knowledge of vestibular rehabilitation can significantly improve your symptoms. Do you have problems with riding in a car? Walking down the aisles of a grocery store? Changing or limiting activities because it does not feel comfortable? You can do a simple self check to tell if your balance is what it should be. Can you stand from a dining chair without using your hands? If you close your eyes do you remain still? Can you stand on one foot for 10 seconds without swaying? Can you turn your head side to side while continuing to walk forward? If you answered no to any of these questions your balance may be compromised.
Dizziness is a big health issue that affects your ability to move and function, and can cause digestive upsets, decreased energy levels and affect emotional status. Dizziness can be caused by viral infections, head trauma, motor vehicle accidents, stroke, aging, migraines, increased muscle tension in the neck and shoulders, inner ear dysfunction, drug interactions, low blood pressure, anxiety and sensory loss in the lower legs.
Dizziness and balance problems account for 5 to 10 percent of all physician visits and affect 40 percent of people over the age of 40. Dizziness is the number one reason for physician visits by people over the age of 65. The term dizziness can mean anything from vertigo to loss of balance to lightheadedness. It is important to see your physician for help in sorting out the various causes of dizziness and to see if your medications or activities are part of the problem. After evaluation, if there is no change in how you are feeling, a visit to a physical therapist that has additional training in vestibular problems is the next step.
Treatment for balance or dizziness can involve positioning to allow the inner ear to adapt, or head and eye exercises to improve the coordination of information sent to the brain. Muscle strengthening of the legs and trunk and use of manual therapy techniques can help to reduce falls. Treatment includes visits to physical therapy, home exercise programs and time for the nervous system to adapt to each new challenge. Generally visits are weekly for six to eight weeks, with improvement within two weeks. Treatment can bring increased understanding of what is happening, decreasing the fear of movement and eliminating the avoidance of activities.

Our ability to maintain balance and move is managed by a complex system of sensory input to the brain and spinal cord and messages to the muscles on how to change our body position to keep us upright and moving. Most of what happens is an automatic function, like breathing. The eyes send pictures to the brain to tell how the body is positioned or if we are moving. The inner ear sends similar messages of movement of the head, of the body or changes in position. Our muscles also send messages regarding the activity of each muscle in the body. The brain takes in all of this information and sends out signals to the muscles throughout the body on how to make adjustments to keep us on our feet or performing activity. All of this happens at reflex speed without us thinking about it. We get to think about walking or running down a path, playing soccer or basketball or even working at the computer without worrying about falling over!
Then something happens, suddenly or over time, and we have to concentrate on how we are moving. We can feel sick, the room spins, and we want to hold onto the furniture or walls. Things as simple as getting dressed, taking the dog for a walk, or getting groceries become major challenges. To sort out what happened is a team effort. Your vision should be checked to make sure your eyes are working appropriately and your glasses are the right strength and fit. A review of your medications, a check of your blood pressure and other health concerns needs to be addressed by your family physician. There are special tests, usually performed by a physician specializing in the ears, to determine if your inner ear is functioning as it should. Once a possible cause for the dizziness is found, and medical treatments started, then physical therapy can help with diminishing the symptoms that remain. There are many ways to help you cope with how you feel. Exercises to strengthen weak muscles to improve your body’s ability to move, therapy techniques to decrease muscle tension in your neck and shoulders to change the message your brain receives or working to improve the reflex circuits between your inner ear, your eyes and muscles with your brain, can all help to improve how you feel and to keep you on your feet and moving through life.
Don’t just "live with it", get help. Do not let a sudden dizziness end your lifestyle as you know it. Do not assume that as you age you need to accept that you must move slower and participate in fewer activities. Activities may need to be adapted, but you do not have to "give up" your lifestyle because you do not feel safe to stand and move. Investigate your options and keep moving!

To help determine if you may be headed for a fall, take the

Balance Self Test