Archive for January, 2011
At my Cincinnati Chiropractic Clinic I treat many elders who are affected by balance problems. In fact, nine percent of adults, aged 65 and over, experience dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related conditions. Good balance is extremely important, of course, in aiding seniors in remaining independent and to avoid falling down and incurring injuries that are frequently very serious or even fatal. But, it may surprise you to know that falls produce a large percentage of work-related injuries for adults younger than 65 years of age, including individuals in their twenties and thirties. That’s right! Balance problems can happen at any age. In fact, those who work at “dangerous heights” like construction workers, roofers, oil platform employees, windows cleaners, or anywhere else where a ladder is required are far more likely to sustain serious injury if their balance isn’t good.
The essential capacity of good balance is to assist us in managing and maintaining our body position, whether we are standing still or moving, and whether we are on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance assists us in walking without faltering, arising from a sitting position without tottering, and in climbing stairs without slipping. In other words, good balance is crucial to our health and well-being.
What is commonly surprising to some people is that they could have a balance dysfunction without any idea of how serious it is. Often times someone is able to “shake off” a dizzy feeling and the sensation may not come back for a while. However when precipitous dizziness occurs at a consequential moment, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is most likely certain.
The feeling by some individuals that they, personally, are spinning or that objects around them are moving is known as “vertigo.” About 40% of individuals in the U.S. will have at least one experience of dizziness that is serious enough to seek out help from a health professional, like your Chiropractor at Cincinnati Chiropractic. That said, if you work at any of the jobs listed above, it is a highly beneficial idea for you to have a chiropractor check your balance prior to a sudden episode of dizziness, instead of as a response to such an episode. Why? Because as a chiropractor, I can not only check your balance, and make corrections if needed, but can assist you in maintaining good balance in the future. And, of course, having good balance may save you from serious injury or worse.
Balance disorders at any age are serious. If you believe that you may have a possible balance disorder, it is crucial for you to be evaluated and treated without delay. In fact, if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, even if the experience is seldom or infrequent, you should discuss the symptom(s) with a chiropractor as soon as possible:
• Have you experienced a feeling of being “unsteady?”
• Has the room seemed to spin around you?
• Has there ever a time when you felt as if you were moving when you knew you were standing still?
• Have you lost your balance and/or fallen down?
• Have you ever felt as if you were falling?
• Has your vision ever become “blurred?”
• Have you ever felt disoriented, or lost a sense of time, place or identity?
It is important for you to remember that balance problems are not confined to a particular age group. From the time we learn to walk until we take our final step, our falling down is possible. All the more reason to have your balance checked if you work in a job that makes your falling down a “critical” issue. Don’t wait until you sustain a work injury! If you’re in the Cincinnati area, give Cincinnati Chiropractic a call today!