Gait & Balance Disorders
What are Gait Disorders?
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 1 in 3 Canadian seniors have a fall each year (2014). Gait disorders can cause abnormal movements in the way you walk and run, and these can become exaggerated with age. They can also be caused by stroke, inner ear problems, foot conditions, or even something as simple as ill-fitting shoes.
What are Balance Disorders?
With balance disorders, people report feeling as if they are about to fall, staggering when attempting to walk, as well as a sensation of floating. Blurred vision and feelings of disorientation are also common.
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.
Many balance disorders are related to issues in the vestibular system, which is responsible for your sense of position, also known as “proprioception.”
Your vestibular system 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. Some common vestibular conditions resulting in balance disorders include:
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV): occurs when calcium debris breaks off in the inner ear, causing issues with balance.
Neurological issues such as Parkinson’s disease, brain injury, or stroke.
Other ailments, such as a sudden injury, disease, accident, which cause muscle weakness that interferes with your balance and make it difficult to keep yourself upright.
How physical therapy helps
Physiotherapy is the best option for balance and gait disorders. Our physiotherapists can provide you with the best techniques for improving your balance and ability to walk. It’s important to get help if you are having trouble remaining steady, as you want to prevent falling and injuring yourself!
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.
Having to attend therapy should not be a cause for worry. Rest assured that you’re in good hands in our office! When you arrive for your initial consultation, our physiotherapist 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 the following exercises and treatment methods:
strengthening exercises
stretches
vestibular rehabilitation