Balance Programs

We All Need Help to Realize What We Want Most.

Balance and walking problems can result from orthopedic conditions, neurological disorders, or a number of injuries that involve the joints, muscles, and nerves.

Fitness4Life Physical Therapy takes a whole-body approach to consider whether issues with the spine, hip, knee or feet contribute to imbalances, and they provide intensive one-on-one care to help you achieve the greatest independence possible.

Facts About Balance

  • 1/3 of the population over 65 falls each year
  • In patients over 75, imbalance is the #1 reason for a doctor visit
  • 1/2 of the population over 80 falls each year
  • 1 out of 5 hip fractures dies within one year after injury
  • Falls account for 25% of all hospital admissions
  • Falls are the #1 cause of fractures
  • Falls account for 40% of all nursing home admissions
  • Falls are the leading cause of death due to injury among elderly

Facts About Vestibular Disorders

  • At least half of the overall United States population is affected by a balance or vestibular disorder sometime during their lives.
  • Approximately 15 out of every 1000 individuals consult their family physician each year with complaints of vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance; half the individuals over the age of 65 will develop positional vertigo.
  • Of all falls suffered by the elderly, 50% are reported to be the result of vestibular problems.
  • In approximately 15% of vestibular patients, the cause cannot be recognized.
  • Traditional vestibular function tests fail to establish a localizing diagnosis that can account for a patient’s symptoms in a reported 30% to 50% of cases.
  • Inner ear problems may not be amenable to surgical treatment, and pharmacological treatment of these conditions with vestibular suppressants often retards the recovery process.
  • Vestibular dysfunction is a prominent part of balance disorders, particularly in the elderly, and is a significant source of morbidity.

Facts About Dizziness Disorders

  • Dizziness is prevalent, with estimates ranging from 1.8% in young adults to more than 30% in the elderly, and causing considerable morbidity and utilization of health services.
  • It has been estimated that 65% of individuals older than 60 years of age experience dizziness or loss of balance, often on a daily basis.
  • Dizziness is a common symptom affecting about 30% of people over the age of 65.
  • 23-30% of adults have experienced at least one episode of dizziness and 3.5% of adults experience a chronic recurrent episode greater than a one-year duration by age 65.
  • Approximately 12.5 million Americans over the age of 65 have a dizziness or balance problem that significantly interferes with their lives.
  • There are an estimated 5 to 8 million physician visits for dizziness in the United States each year; dizziness is a primary reason for an office visit in the over 75 age group.
  • One in three people will experience dizziness or imbalance during their lifetime.
  • In the US, the estimated cost of medical care for patients with balance disorders exceeds $1 billion annually.
  • Dizziness can be difficult to diagnose, particularly in elderly persons, in whom it often represents dysfunction in more than one body system.
  • Many cases of dizziness are actually neurological.
  • In a study involving 96 asymptomatic controls and 149 dizzy subjects, ENG failed to discriminate dizzy subjects from controls and failed to differentiate various dizziness syndromes.

Our balance programs focus on strength, endurance, motion, gait training and coordination for safe walking and preventing falls. If you need the assistance of a cane or walker, Fitness4Life Physical Therapy therapists will match you with the appropriate device and provide training for safety.

At Fitness4Life Physical Therapy, our therapists realize how important balance and walking is for independent living, as well as for work activities, exercise, sports and enjoying life in general.

That’s why we provide a range of programs and therapies to evaluate and treat balance disorders:

  • Assessment and Evaluation Programs
  • Difficulty Walking
  • Gait Training and Balance Programs
  • Fall Prevention and Balance Retraining
  • Manual and Massage Therapy
  • Fitness and Wellness Programs
  • Vestibular Rehab
  • Functional Training
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