When we first learn to walk, we’re unsteady and we tend to fall down a lot. Most people are eventually able to walk with more stability and confidence. However, age can bring people full circle to a place where balance issues make it difficult to maintain balance. 

Balance issues affect a particular body system known as the vestibular system. This is why they’re also called vestibular issues. The vestibular system includes your inner ear, parts of your brain, and even your muscles and joints. Problems with any one of these components can lead to a difficulty balancing. One study found that more than 39% of the people surveyed reported unsteadiness. 

Physical therapy can help you learn how vestibular issues may affect your daily life. It can assist with the effective treatment of many vestibular disorders, too. 

Three ways balance issues can affect your daily life

1. Making walking difficult — Many people walk thousands of steps every single day, and they probably don’t even think about it most of the time. However, vestibular issues can cause dizziness, unsteadiness and vertigo, which can make walking more difficult. 

2. Increasing fall risk — The unsteadiness, dizziness and vertigo that vestibular disorders can cause often leads to more falls. This is especially true if you’re older. A medical study reports that about 25% of older Americans fall every year. 

3. Decreasing confidence — Being able to maintain stability on your own helps give you confidence. But vestibular issues can erode this confidence and lead to issues like anxiety and depression. Such issues may be one reason that more than 2 million Americans age 65 and older experience depression. 

How can physical therapists help people with balance issues?

There is help out there for people with vestibular issues, and one effective form of help is physical therapy. In fact, there’s an entire class of physical therapy called vestibular rehab. This type of therapy is specifically geared toward treating vestibular disorders. A vestibular rehab program may include: 

• Education about the vestibular issue you have. 

• Tips for doing normal daily tasks with your vestibular disorder. 

• Balance training to help improve your stability, strength and confidence. 

• Treatments that can help reduce dizziness caused by movement. 

Franklin Rehab offers top-notch vestibular rehabilitation for balance issues

Do you have a vestibular issue that’s making your life more difficult? Our team at Franklin Rehabilitation is primed to help you address your vestibular disorder. We can do a free screening on you that’s intended to reveal the specific vestibular issue(s) you have. Also, our physical therapists can construct an individualized vestibular rehabilitation plan to fit your needs. 

Contact our team today for more information about our vestibular rehab service or to schedule an initial appointment.