At my Cincinnati Chiropractic Clinic I treat many seniors who suffer from balance problems. In fact, 9% of adults, aged 65 and older, are affected by dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related challenges. Good balance is essential, of course, in helping seniors to remain independent and to avoid falling down and encounter injuries that are often extremely serious or even fatal. But, you may be surprised to hear that falls contribute to a large number of work-related injuries for workers under 65 years of age, including those in their twenties and thirties. That’s right! No one is “invulnerable” to balance challenges, no matter how young they may be. It is for this reason that those who work at “dangerous heights” like construction workers, roofers, oil platform employees, windows cleaners, or any other place where a ladder is involved are far more likely to sustain serious injury if their balance is “off.”
The primary capacity of good balance is to help us to manage and maintain our body position, whether standing still or moving, and whether on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance helps us to walk without staggering, arise from a sitting position without teetering, and to climb stairs without tripping. In other words, good balance is vital to our health and well-being.
What may be shocking to you is that you could have a balance dysfunction without realizing how significant it is. On occasion an individual can “shake off” a dizzy feeling and the sensation may not come back for a while. The danger is that when sudden dizziness happens at a decisive time, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is usually certain.
The feeling by some people that they, themselves, are spinning or that things around them are moving is called “vertigo.” Nearly 40% of people in the U.S. will have at least one episode of dizziness that is distressing enough to seek out a health professional, such as your Chiropractor in Cincinnati. However, if you are involved in any of the activities listed above, it is an extremely good idea for you to have a chiropractor check your balance prior to a sudden episode of dizziness, rather than as a response to such an episode. Why? Because as a chiropractor, I can not only check your balance, and make adjustments if needed, but can assist you in maintaining good balance in the future. And, of course, having good balance will likely save you from serious injury or worse.
Balance disorders are risky at any age. It is crucial for you to be evaluated and treated quickly if you feel as if you may have a possible balance disorder. To help to make your decision easier 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?
Remember: Balance problems are not specific to a particular age group. Our falling down is an ever-present possibility from the time we learn to walk until we take our final step 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 it’s too late! If you’re in the area, give your Cincinnati Chiropractor a call today. I can help!
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