| 13 June 2010
Balance is an often overlooked skill. People often take this for granted, yet one of the leading causes of injuries in our senior population is falls. Poor balance is often the root cause of many injuries involving falls.
Some of the causes of poor balance include prior injuries, (especially those of the ankle, knees and hips) weakness in the core stabilizers, excessive weight in the abdomen, and stroke. In all of these cases balance can be improved. It is a learned skill. In fact studies have shown that the brains, specifically the cerebellum, of patients that improved their balance showed increased activity on follow up brain scans.
It is essential to get a proper diagnosis from your physician if you have symptoms such as vertigo or dizziness associated with your balance problem. These additional symptoms can suggest problems in other areas including everything from the inner ear to your brain.
We live most of our lives in shoes with flat bottoms on flat ground. This encourages our feet and ankles to become lazy. This is why it is essential to train for balance. When you were young. you probably ran around bare foot frequently and once we became adults, we started wearing shoes everywhere.
There are many exercises that you can do at home to improve your balance. Standing on one leg with bare feet is a great place to start; however if you are already walking with a balance aid such as a cane or walker, start with both feet on the ground holding onto a chair. The exercises progress to being able to move your free leg around while keeping your balance to closing your eyes.
The following link is an example of an advance balance exercise:
http://www.livestrong.com/exercises/balance/59-single-leg-balance-reach/
An exercise program for balance includes a core assessment to determine which muscles are out of balance and need to be strengthened. If weight if your issue, then weight management needs to be part of the prescription for better balance as well.
This week we consulted with a patient less than ten days after starting single leg bare foot balancing at home. When she first started she could only stand on one leg for a few seconds before losing her balance. She has improved so much that she is no longer known as the clumsy one among her friends and co-workers. People often confuse clumsy with poor balance and this patient is well on her way to changing her nickname to "grace."
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