What is the Balance and Falls Service?

Our Balance and Falls service involves individually designed activity-based management plans, designed to help prevent falls and subsequent injuries by improving balance and postural control. Control of balance is a complex and dynamic process involving the brain’s management of sensory information from the vestibular system (inner ear), visual system (eyes) and somatosensory system (sensors in the joints and muscles of the body).

If any of these systems fail to provide the necessary information to the brain that it requires to complete a particular task in a particular environment, then problems with balance and falls are more likely to occur.

Conditions such as vertigo, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), cervicogenic dizziness (related to neck movement), Meniere’s Disease or headaches and migraines commonly result from impairments of the vestibular and/or visual systems may benefit from vestibular and oculomotor rehabilitation. Neurological conditions such as Parkinsons, Stroke, Cerebellar ataxia, MS and Acquired brain/head injury can impact any of these systems and symptoms of poor balance and falls can be improved with a comprehensive program of vestibular, oculomotor and proprioceptive rehabilitation.

Balance disorders and dizziness are present in all age groups, but prevalence increases with age and in the presence of a neurological condition. Left untreated it can result in worsening unsteadiness, loss of confidence and anxiety, inactivity, loss of independence, an increased risk of falls and falls related injuries.

What to expect.

One of our specialised Physiotherapists will perform a thorough assessment through administering a series of clinical tests and questions. The results of which will be explained and any questions or concerns addressed at the time.

If you have dizziness due to BPPV you will be treated with specialist head and neck manipulations that reposition fragments of debris within the inner ear and in many cases, recovery is very quick.

Other causes of balance problems often respond to exercise therapy.

A personalised exercise-based management plan will be tailored to the individual and will include a self-management programme to be completed at home along with the recommended frequency of treatment sessions.

An exercise-based management plan may include:

• Eye and head movement exercises.

• Exercises to improve standing balance and walking.

• Education and advice on activities of daily living to improve confidence and function.

• Advice on falls reduction and prevention.

• Use of the rehabilitation technology such as the LiteGait, AlterG and Galileo.