How Physiotherapy Can Help You Find Better Balance and Stability
Stand and Walk With Confidence And A Sure Step
Do you ever feel unsteady on your feet? Have you noticed it’s getting harder to navigate stairs or uneven surfaces? Maybe you’ve even had a close call or two, and now you’re worried about falling.
Feeling nervous about falling is reasonable, especially if you’re older. Falls are one of the most common causes of injury and hospitalization among older adults, although they can impact younger people, particularly if they’re recovering from surgery or injury. Furthermore, balance challenges can dramatically impact your quality of life, making it tough to stay active and independent.
At Ability Physiotherapy & Wellness, we understand your concern. However, we also want to make it clear that falls are not an inevitable part of aging! There are steps you can take to enhance your overall balance and stability, which can help keep you on your feet for years to come. Even better, you don’t have to do it alone. Our team of movement specialists is here to help.
Why Do We Need Balance And Stability?
Firstly, balance and stability aren’t the same thing, although they are connected:
- Balance is the ability to maintain your center of gravity over your base of support. Essentially, it means you can stay upright.
- Stability is the ability to resist forces that threaten to disrupt balance, such as a bump in the sidewalk or a playful nudge from a grandchild.
To reduce your risk of falls, you want to enhance both of these factors. Standing on one foot might mean you have good balance, but if you have poor stability, it won’t necessarily protect you from falling.
How Do I Know If I Need to Work on Balance And Stability?
Many factors can contribute to balance and stability problems, including the following:
- Age-related decline in muscle strength, mobility, and reaction time
- A history of falls
- Medical conditions that affect mobility, such as arthritis
- Inner ear disorders (which often cause dizziness and vertigo)
- Neurological conditions like stroke or Parkinson’s disease
- Vision challenges
- Certain medications
Generally speaking, if you’re experiencing symptoms like feeling unsteady or dizzy, frequent falls or near falls, difficulty walking or turning, or needing to use furniture or walls for support, reach out to Ability Physiotherapy & Wellness. We’ll help you develop a program that addresses your specific needs.
How Physiotherapy Helps Enhance Balance And Stability
Physiotherapy addresses the underlying factors contributing to your balance or stability challenges. That’s why our team will also begin with a thorough evaluation to help us understand the reasons for your fall risk.
We’ll discuss your health history, evaluate your balance, strength, and movement patterns with a few simple movement screens, and learn more about your concerns. That way, we can blend various treatment techniques to create a unique, effective treatment program.
Some of these techniques might include:
Strength Training
- Good core and lower body strength are essential for enhanced stability. A strong core, in particular, helps stabilize your body so you can stay on your feet.
Balance and Proprioceptive Training
- This technique focuses on improving your body’s awareness of its position in space. By challenging your balance with exercises on unstable surfaces or with your eyes closed, you can retrain your body to react more quickly and efficiently to changes in your environment.
Gait Training
- An impaired walking pattern can affect your balance and increase your risk of falling. If necessary, we’ll help correct these impairments with personalized, targeted exercises.
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT)
- If you’re struggling with vestibular dysfunction, we’ll guide you through specific exercises that retrain your brain to understand signals from your inner ear and improve balance.
Functional Activities
- We’ll teach you how to execute functional activities, like walking, turning your head while walking or standing, reaching for something on a shelf while standing, and carrying objects.
Take the First Step Towards Better Balance
Ready to take charge of your balance and regain your confidence? The Ability Physiotherapy & Wellness team is here to help you achieve your goals. Call us today to schedule your first appointment and take the first step towards a more stable and active future.
Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572153, https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical-therapy-guide-falls
Visceral Mobilization
How Addressing Internal Restrictions Can Help Manage Pain
Have you been dealing with persistent pain or feelings of tightness that don’t seem to improve, no matter what you’ve tried? It may be that the source of your pain isn’t a muscle or a joint but rather the fascia, a web of connective tissue that wraps around your internal organs and has many sensitive nerve endings that tell your brain how your body moves and feels. In those cases, visceral mobilization at Ability Physiotherapy & Wellness may help.
What Is Visceral Mobilization?
Visceral mobilization is a manual technique that improves the flexibility of the fascia surrounding organs in your chest, abdomen, or pelvis. When this tissue is healthy, it moves with ease when you move and breathe. But factors such as surgery, injury, or inflammation can reduce this movement, leading to discomfort and tightness in other areas.
During treatment, your physiotherapist uses external manual techniques to assess how the organs and surrounding fascia move. We then apply light, sustained pressure to encourage these tissues to glide more freely. Throughout the process, we avoid forcefulness and regularly check in to ensure you’re comfortable.
How Can It Help?
We often incorporate visceral mobilization into a personalized physiotherapy plan for people experiencing:
- Persistent neck or back pain
- Pelvic pain
- Digestive discomfort
- Pain related to surgical scars
- Restricted movement or stiffness
- Ongoing pain that has not responded fully to other treatments
We typically combine visceral mobilization with therapeutic exercise, education, movement retraining, and other evidence-informed physiotherapy techniques to support lasting improvements in comfort and function.
Relief Begins with a Thorough Assessment
At Ability Physiotherapy & Wellness, we look beyond the location of your symptoms to better understand what may be contributing to your discomfort. If you’re living with persistent pain or movement restrictions, visceral mobilization may be an appropriate addition to your care plan. Contact us today to learn whether this treatment might be right for your needs.
Exercise of the Month
Isometric Ankle Exercise
(Ankles)
Slowly push against an immovable object in 4 directions of ankle movement, such as inward, outward, up, and down. Hold for 5 seconds. 3 Sets, 10 Reps. (Materials needed: immovable object)
Healthy Recipe: Simple Lemon Herb Chicken
This lemon herb chicken is a simple, quick, and delicious dish. All you need are a few herbs, fresh lemon juice, and of course, the chicken! Adjust the seasonings to suit your taste.
Ingredients:
- 2 (5 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 1 medium lemon, juiced, divided
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions:
- Step 1: Place chicken in a bowl; pour 1/2 of the lemon juice over chicken and season with salt.
- Step 2: Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Place chicken into hot oil. Add remaining lemon juice and oregano; season with black pepper. Cook chicken until golden brown and the juices run clear, 5 to 10 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Step 3: Garnish chicken with parsley to serve.
⚖️ Comprehensive Balance & Stability Checklist
Check off the proactive measures you’re taking to improve your stability, reduce fall risks, and walk with confidence!
Get Back to Doing What You Love
Whether your goal is to crush your next morning run, garden without stiffness, or simply keep up with your kids, you don't have to push through the pain alone. Reach out to the movement specialists at Ability Physiotherapy & Wellness today, and let’s build a personalized plan to get you back on your feet.
