Balance and Gait Disorders

Find your balance and finally get relief for your gait disorders now.

Do you ever feel unsteady, or not quite as sure-footed as you used to be? Do you find yourself reaching for walls or furniture just to stay balanced? Do you experience pain in your hips, knees, or other joints that have completely altered the way that you walk? If so, you may be suffering from a balance or gait disorder.

Balance and gait can develop for a variety of reasons and can be physically and mentally disrupting. Underlying musculoskeletal and neurological disorders can cause or aggravate a balance or gait problem. Thankfully, chiropractic therapy has the ability to reduce your symptoms or fix the issue altogether.

Reasons why you may be struggling with balance or gait issues.

There is no one set reason behind why you’re having trouble with balance and gait disorders, as they can develop from a wide array of underlying conditions.

Many balance disorders are related to issues in the vestibular system, which 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. The vestibular system is responsible for your sense of position, also known as “proprioception.”

Can Chiropractic help me with my balance issues?

If you are suffering from balance problems such as unsteady gait, Vitality Health Center may be able to help you with your problem medication and surgery free. There are various causes of loss of balance. It may include alcohol abuse, multiple sclerosis, muscle weakness, poor posture, Lymes disease, head trauma, head tumors, CNS infections, side-effects of prescription drugs, neuromas, and subluxations, which are the focus of chiropractic interventions. A prompt diagnosis and examination may help identify the actual cause of your loss of balance and be able to correct your problem specifically. Nevertheless, chiropractors can help you achieve balance by correcting the most common cause of balance problems, which are problems in the nervous system.

Nerves located in the neck area are responsible for sending messages to the inner ear and cerebellum, which are two important body areas for balance. Any problem affecting the normal conduction of nerve signaling in the neck may potentially lead to loss of balance. The role of chiropractors is to detect and correct problems in the neck to achieve improved nerve signaling in various areas of the body eventually resulting in improved balance.

If subluxations in the neck area are detected and corrected through chiropractic manipulation, then improved signaling to the inner ear and cerebellum is also maintained promoting better balance and coordination.

A common balance problem that may be effectively treated with chiropractic care is vertigo or dizziness. Chiropractors detect the presence of vertigo through a series of physical examination, neurologic examination and health history. Dix-Hallpike maneuver may also be employed to specifically detect vertigo.

What Do Chiropractors Do to Improve Balance?

To correct balance problems, chiropractors employ neck manipulations to correct spinal subluxations. Chiropractic manipulations aim at releasing nerve impingements along the spine in order for the nerves to function adequately improving nerve impulse transmission to the inner ear and cerebellum. In this way, the body achieves a better sense of balance because of the absence of over signaling or under signaling of the nerves.

A specific maneuver, called the Epley or Semont maneuver can help vertigo problems. It is a well-tolerated procedure that is safely employed by chiropractors. This involves repositioning of the patient to displace the calcium carbonate crystals in the inner ear that causes balance issues.

Aside from spinal manipulations, postural exercises may also be employed to help with balance problems and help improve posture. Vestibular rehabilitation exercises are taught at chiropractic clinics and patients are expected to perform them at home.

The maneuvers as well as exercises can effectively correct balance issues such as vertigo in as early as three chiropractic visits. Most patients seeking these types of treatments also report being symptoms free helping them to stay out of medications.

In terms of balance issues and dizziness, chiropractors are not the first ones that people consult to; however, talking to a chiropractor can help you address your problem that is otherwise difficult to manage by other medical practitioners. If you are suffering from balance problems, contact our chiropractor at Vitality Health Center.

If you are dealing with gait and/or balance issues and you are looking to find long-lasting relief, talk with, Dr. John T. Toth, our dedicated chiropractor at Vitality Health Center by calling 651-773-9414.

Vitality Health Center serves patients in White Bear Lake, White Bear Township, Gem Lake, Little Canada, Vadnais Heights, Mahtomedi, Maplewood, North St. Paul, Shoreview, Oakdale, Lake Elmo, Woodbury, Arden Hills, North Oaks, Pine Springs, Grant and surrounding areas.