Balance & Gait Disorders

Get Your Balance Back with Physical Therapy

If You are Limited by a Balance or Gait Disorder, Physical Therapy can Help You Get Back on Your Feet

Is your balance not quite what it used to be? Do you find yourself reaching out for walls, railings, or other objects to balance yourself? Have you noticed pain in your hips, knees, or other joints that make it difficult for you to walk? These are all indications of a balance or gait disorder.

At Evidence Physical Therapy, we can manage your symptoms and in many cases, we can help relieve your condition altogether. There are many reasons why this kind of condition may occur, and it can cause both physical and mental limitations in your daily life. Underlying musculoskeletal and neurological disorders can cause or aggravate a balance or gait problem. Fortunately, physical therapy in Glenn Dale and Clinton can help.

To find out more about how our balance and gait disorders services can benefit you, contact our Glenn Dale and Clinton physical therapy office today.

PT treatments for balance and gait disorders

Physical therapy is the best option for balance and gait disorders. Our Glenn Dale and Clinton physical therapists can provide you with the best techniques for improving your balance and ability to walk.

When you arrive for your initial consultation, our physical therapist will conduct a comprehensive physical evaluation to examine your balance, gait, stance, medical history, and symptoms, before creating a personalized treatment plan made for your specific needs. This treatment plan may include:

Stretches

Stretching will help improve your flexibility and your range of motion. This will give you more control and quicker reactions with your movements, also reducing your risk of injury. It will also keep your muscles from becoming too tight and stiff.

Strengthening exercises

Your evaluation will help determine what problem areas in your body may need help. Our physical therapist will provide you with strengthening exercises that will build up your muscles, thus making it much easier for you to move around and reduce your risk of injury.

Gait retraining exercises

Sometimes, abnormalities in gait can be corrected through “retraining” where you learn proper techniques.

Vestibular rehabilitation

This physical therapy treatment works to improve your vision, nerves, muscles, and the vestibular system as a whole, in order to maintain a steady balance. If you are suffering from Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), our Glenn Dale and Clinton physical therapists will provide you with specific exercises that will move the calcium debris to the correct parts of your ear.

What’s causing my balance or gait disorder?

There can be many causes of balance and gait disorders, as they can develop from many different underlying conditions. For balance disorders, many are related to issues in the vestibular system, which is a delicate collection of fluid-filled chambers and sensory nerves, located in the inner ear, and thousands of nerve receptors in the joints throughout your body. The vestibular system is responsible for your sense of position, also known as “proprioception.”

Some common vestibular conditions resulting in balance disorders include:

Injury or ailment

Even if your brain and nervous system are working in harmony with one another, a sudden injury, disease, or other ailment causing muscle weakness can interfere with your balance and make it difficult to keep yourself upright.

Neurological issues

This may include Parkinson’s disease, brain injury, or stroke. Anything that affects your neurological system can also impact your balance.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

This occurs when calcium debris breaks off in the inner ear where parts of the vestibular system is found, causing issues with balance. When you are suffering a vertigo attack, there is a sensation of spinning which can make standing upright, opening your eyes or moving your head miserable. This happens because even though you may be still, your brain is receiving signals that you are moving.

How can I tell the difference between a balance or gait disorder?

Balance and gait disorders belong to a family of functional problems that interfere with your positional awareness, your normal means of walking or running, and your ability to keep yourself upright.

Balance and gait disorders are closely related, but they do have some distinct differences. Balance disorders are both physical and mental, as your brain may think you are moving, even when you are not. Changes to your joint strength, mobility, and ability to sense where your joints are in space (proprioception), all have physical consequences on your balance.

Gait disorders can cause abnormal movements in the way you walk and run, and these can become exaggerated with age. According to Move Forward Physical Therapy, gait disorders account for 17 percent of senior falls.

Looking for help? Contact us today

Are you looking to get back on your feet? Request an appointment at Evidence Physical Therapy today! We’ll help you find the balance you’re looking for after just a few sessions.