Dizzy? PT May Help.....

Know anyone with dizziness or balance problems? The Vestibular System (Inner Ear) is often the culprit, especially in older adults. This is a nice article explaining what the inner ear system is and what it does.

Other issues can be responsible for dizziness, however, such as blood pressure changes, medication reactions, among others. So it is important not to ignore dizzy symptoms and to see your physician. Physical therapy can often be helpful in many cases - don't be afraid to ask if physical therapy can help you!

New Guidelines for Fall Prevention in Elderly

Do you know anyone with balance problems or are you concerned about them falling? Seeing a physical therapist can help greatly. Below is a description of new guidelines in fall prevention by the AMerican Geriatric Society and British Geriatric Society.

For the first time in 10 years, the American Geriatrics Society and the British Geriatric Society have updated their guidelines for preventing falls in elderly patients, stating that all interventions should include an exercise component.

Assessments should include the patient’s feet and footwear, fear of falling, and ability to carry out activities of daily living, the guidelines state. Healthcare providers should ask patients if they have fallen recently or if they are unsteady walking. If a patient answers “yes,” the caregiver should diagnose problems such as muscle weakness, poor balance or blood pressure that drops significantly while standing.

If patients have evidence of gait problems or recurrent falls, caregivers should perform the multifactorial interventions described in the guidelines, which include exercises for balance, gait and strength training, such as Tai Chi.

Vertigo May Have Simple Solution

Know anyone with vertigo or dizziness? This is a nice video below explaining a very common cause of vertigo and how it can be treated, many times fairly easily. It is called Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV for short). However, dizziness can be caused by many things, including blood pressure problems, reaction to medications, and many other issues, so check with your family doctor first if you're experiencing these symptoms. Seeing a physical therapist trained to treat vertigo and dizziness can help you or someone you know!


Vertigo May Have Simple Solution - WGAL Health News Story - WGAL The Susquehanna Valley