Feel Steadier and More Confident on Your Feet
Balance problems can make everyday activities feel uncertain. You may feel unsteady while walking, have trouble using stairs, or find yourself reaching for furniture for support. If a balance disorder is limiting you in West Valley City, Tooele in Northpointe, Tooele on Main Street and Grantsville, UT, physical therapy at Meier & Marsh Physical Therapy can help identify the factors affecting your balance and determine what can be improved.
Our physical therapists use specialized testing and clinical expertise to understand why you feel unsteady. From there, treatment focuses on the specific problems affecting your ability to stand, walk, and move confidently.
Understanding Balance Disorders
Good balance depends on several systems working together. Your brain uses information from your eyes, inner ear, and sensory receptors throughout your body to understand where you are and make adjustments as you move.
Because balance depends on several systems, two people who both feel unsteady may need very different treatment.
Balance may be affected by:
- Changes in strength
- Reduced sensation
- Inner ear or vestibular problems
- Difficulty coordinating movement
- Changes in vision
- Joint or mobility limitations
- Neurological conditions
- Recovery after an injury or surgery
- Certain medical conditions or medications
How Balance Problems Can Affect Daily Life
A balance disorder does not always mean you are falling frequently.
You may also start avoiding certain activities because you do not feel steady enough to perform them confidently.
You may notice difficulty:
- Walking on grass or uneven ground
- Turning while walking
- Using stairs
- Getting up from a chair
- Walking in dimly lit areas
- Moving through busy environments
- Stepping over obstacles
- Walking while turning your head
- Exercising
- Completing work or household activities
A Specialized Assessment Helps Determine What Is Affecting Your Balance
A balance evaluation involves much more than simply asking you to stand on one leg.
Special tests help our physical therapists determine which factors are affecting your balance and where treatment should focus.
Depending on your symptoms and history, your physical therapist may assess:
- Standing balance
- Walking
- Leg strength
- Sensation
- Coordination
- Joint movement
- Balance under different visual conditions
- Head and eye movements when appropriate
- Turning and changing direction
- Your response to different surfaces or positions
- Activities related to your normal daily life
Treatment Based on Your Balance Assessment
There is no single exercise program for every balance disorder. Your treatment is based on the problems identified during your evaluation.
Your physical therapist adjusts your treatment as your abilities improve.
Your plan may include:
- Balance exercises that progressively challenge your stability
- Strengthening for muscles needed during standing and walking
- Walking training under different conditions
- Coordination exercises when appropriate
- Vestibular exercises when the vestibular system contributes to your symptoms
- Turning and direction-change practice
- Functional training for stairs, transfers, and other daily activities
- Education to help you understand your balance problem
- Home exercises based on your individual findings
Building Better Balance for Everyday Life
Improving your balance should help you do more outside the clinic.
You may want to walk through a crowded store, use stairs more confidently, move across your yard, exercise, travel, or keep up with your family.
Your physical therapist can gradually progress your exercises toward the movements and environments that challenge you. This helps prepare you for the situations you actually encounter during your day.
Clinical Expertise Focused on Helping You Stay Independent
At Meier & Marsh Physical Therapy, our physical therapists do not assume that every balance problem has the same cause.
We listen to when and where you feel unsteady, perform specialized testing, and explain what we find. Your treatment is then based on the specific strength, balance, vestibular, sensory, or movement problems identified during your evaluation.
If your symptoms suggest a problem that requires additional medical evaluation, we can help you determine the appropriate next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Improve Your Balance and Get Back to Normal
Feeling unsteady can interfere with your independence and keep you from activities you enjoy. Finding out what is affecting your balance is the first step toward doing something about it.
Contact Meier & Marsh Physical Therapy today to schedule an evaluation for balance disorders in West Valley City, Tooele in Northpointe, Tooele on Main Street or Grantsville, UT. Our physical therapists can perform specialized testing and prescribe treatment to help you move with greater confidence.
Your Next Steps…
- Request An Appointment
- Receive A Custom Treatment Plan
- Work Hard and Progress In Your Recovery
- Recover & Enjoy Life Pain-Free
