Balance and Gait Disorders - What Are They?
If you notice that you feel an uncomfortable pain during daily activities, have issues with your balance or there is pain or stiffness while walking- the cause may very well be Balance issues and Gait disorders.
These issues often go undiagnosed but can have a seriously negative impact on your life. A balance disorder is a condition that stops you from walking steadily. There is frequently a fear of falling and you lose the confidence of being able to walk without help. Balancing and holding yourself steady needs many different parts of your body to work together, including your muscles, joints, inner ear, and cognitive functions. Issues with any one or more of these can lead to balance disorders.
A gait abnormality negatively affects the way you walk and run. Even a small unnoticed injury to one body part can cause you to overcompensate in other areas and lead to pain and multiple injuries. A good example of this is when you injure one knee, you tend to lean more heavily on your other leg. The extra pressure and wear and tear causes pain in your hip, knee, and ankle and can lead to further injuries.
What Causes Balance & Gait Disorders?
Balance issues and gait abnormality analysis is best done by a professional as it is difficult to track down the exact problem for anyone else. A physical therapist is best equipped to examine your gait and movements and deduce the actual cause of the problem. Some conditions that may cause balance issues are stroke, heart attack, illness other injuries or simply an incorrect posture and walking habit.
What Does Physiotherapy Do to Treat Balance Issues and Gait Abnormality?
Your visit to our physical therapist will begin with a comprehensive physical assessment to determine what your problems are and what is causing them. physiotherapists are trained experts in the human body and its movement.
They have undergone years of training to not only detect the problem but do the necessary investigation and diagnosis to find out the exact source of the problem. There are multiple exercises and equipments available to physiotherapists to treat balance and gait disorders. Sometimes the problem maybe due to weak muscles. Sometimes lack of flexibility may also be the cause. Loss of flexibility can be due to age, staying inactive or after surgery.
With a wide range of therapeutic exercises and modern scientific tools, your physiotherapist will aim to strengthen the muscles through targeted exercises, reduce the tension in your body or improve your range of motion. Simply altering the way you carry your weight on your feet can start a chain of positive reactions in your body, resulting in an improvement in your posture, the way you walk and overall confidence.
Help for Balance and Gait Issues
Your hard work under the guidance of our physiotherapist could yield special benefits for you over the long-term. Sometimes physical therapy can eliminate the need for a cane or walker. Call our team at SwaHealth Physio Rehab Clinic today at New Alipore, Kolkata center to discuss how we can help with your balance and gait issues. Click Here to Get Directions