Fear of falling? If you or a loved one has experienced a fall within the last 6-12 months, you probably already know how life-altering it can be. Besides any physical injury you may have experienced, the real damage tends to occur a little more slowly over the following weeks and months.
The Domino Effect of Falling
A fall can set off a chain reaction. Once it happens, you may start questioning your own abilities and become more cautious. This leads to a decrease in your activity level. Activities you once enjoyed, like walks with friends or social outings, start feeling like too much. Essentially, the fear of falling again can take the joy out of life.
But there’s hope! If you or a loved one are caught in this cycle and want to regain your balance and active lifestyle, you’re in the right place.
Understanding Your Balance Systems
Before we delve into specific strategies to improve your balance, let’s first take a look at the various factors that control your balance and help keep you stable. Your body depends on three systems that work together to keep you balanced and stable:
1. Vision: Your vision constantly sends input to your brain, telling it where your body is located in relation to your surroundings.
2. Sensation/Spatial Awareness: This system includes pressure receptors on the bottoms of your feet and special receptors in your joints that tell your brain where you are in relationship to space (known as “proprioception”).
3. Inner Ear: Your inner ear, also called the “vestibular system,” sends input to your brain regarding the movement of your head in relationship to gravity.
Damage to any of these balance systems can have a negative impact on your ability to keep your body stable. However, people who fall and then become less active typically have issues with weakness of these systems, which is very treatable.
In addition to these balance systems, there are a multitude of other factors that can negatively affect your balance, including strength, flexibility, endurance, pain, side effects from medications, damage to your central nervous system (such as a stroke or Parkinson’s), and damage to your inner ear.
A Glimpse into the Solution
To summarize, there are several factors that can influence your balance, and if you’ve suffered from a fall already and are experiencing difficulty with your balance, it’s very likely that 2-3 of these factors can be improved to help you regain your balance.
Stay tuned for more information about how to improve your balance and prevent another fall. Over the next several weeks, we’ll be providing valuable content to aid in balance improvement and fall prevention. Your journey to regaining confidence and stability is just beginning.
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Remember, if you’re experiencing balance issues and you’d like more information on how you can have your balance tested and a specialized program established for you… Please Call 512-730-0231 Or click here if you would like to schedule a FREE Discovery Session and get your balance tested!
