You should talk to your primary care provider about a referral to our balance therapy program for an assessment if you have:
- Fallen or been close to falling
- Changed your normal activities because you worry about your balance
- Experienced dizziness or unsteadiness
Our physical therapists treat balance and dizziness, working with other team members such as:
- Ear, nose and throat specialists (otolaryngologists and neurotologists)
- Neurologists
- Physiatrists
Balance therapy program
After your balance assessment, we will develop a plan with you. People often start with one or two therapy sessions weekly to work on strength, balance, and flexibility.
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Our team uses the latest equipment available to evaluate and treat all the systems of balance, including:
- Bertec® Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP/IVR) system
- Biodex Reactive Step Trainer™
Can simulate slips and trips, all while you are safely protected in a harness system
After your assessment, we will determine the best treatment that may include:
- Balance exercises to improve steadiness with walking and standing activities
- Vestibular habituation and gaze stabilization exercises
This is to help retrain your vestibular system. This is the area of your brain responsible for balance. - Canalith repositioning maneuvers for BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo)
A technique that involves moving your head in specific directions to eliminate a spinning sensation when you move.
Resources
- Common causes of dizziness or vertigo (patient support and education)
- "A Case of Getting Dizzy" (article)
- Improving your balance to avoid falls (patient education)
- Home Safety Checklist (PDF) on the New Hampshire Falls Risk Reduction Task Force website