 Dizziness is a common problem affecting between 15% and 20% of people each year. It significantly impacts daily life, causing feelings of unsteadiness, lightheadedness, or sensations of the room spinning. These symptoms can be alarming and significantly hinder the ability to complete even basic tasks. The good news is that dizziness often has treatable causes. The fact that physical therapists can be a key player in treating dizziness surprises many people.
Understanding dizziness: Dizziness isn't a specific disease but a symptom with various origins. Inner ear issues are a frequent culprit, but vision problems, neck or muscle issues, migraines, blood pressure changes, head injuries, and neurological problems can also contribute. What do physical therapists have to do with dizziness? PTs are known as movement and musculoskeletal experts, but they also frequently treat balance problems. That's how they play a role in treating dizziness. Balance relies on a complex interplay between the inner ear, vision, and sensory input from your joints. When this information becomes conflicting, the brain struggles to interpret it, leading to a feeling of dizziness or vertigo. Physical therapists assess all these systems to pinpoint the underlying cause of dizziness. This tailored approach leads to an effective treatment plan. That plan might include: ● Exercises: These might be designed to improve balance, strengthen specific muscles, or retrain the brain to process sensory information correctly. This could involve gaze stabilization exercises to help the brain and vision work together, habituation exercises to desensitize the brain to specific triggers, and balance training on various surfaces. ● Canalith Repositioning Maneuvers (CRM): If benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the culprit, specific maneuvers can reposition tiny crystals within the ear canal, alleviating vertigo. Patients are also often taught to perform these maneuvers at home. ● Education: PTs teach people about strategies to manage dizziness and exercises they can independently perform. Additionally, therapists can help modify activities that trigger dizziness or teach ways to work through them. Dizziness can stop people in their tracks. However, physical therapists offer effective treatment options to get people moving again. PT helps people regain balance, perform daily activities confidently, and reduce fall risk.
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May is National Arthritis Month; a time to raise awareness and support for the millions of Americans living with arthritis. Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints. According to the CDC, arthritis affects more than 54 million adults in the United States. That makes it one of the leading causes of disability.
But there is hope for people with arthritis. Physical therapy is a proven and effective treatment to manage symptoms, improve function, and enhance quality of life. Physical therapists are licensed professionals who evaluate and treat conditions that limit the body's ability to move and perform daily activities. They can also teach you how to prevent or reduce the impact of arthritis on your health and well-being. Physical therapy for arthritis can help you: • Ease pain. Physical therapists can use things like massage, joint mobilizations, exercise, braces or splints, to relieve pain and inflammation in the affected joints. • Increase range of motion. Physical therapists can design a personalized exercise program that includes stretching, strengthening, coordination, and balance exercises to improve your flexibility and mobility. • Improve movement patterns. Physical therapists can teach you proper posture and body mechanics for common activities, such as getting in and out of chairs, climbing stairs, walking, or working. This can help protect your joints to slow down or prevent progression of your symptoms. • Enhance your fitness level. Physical therapists can help you create a home workout routine that matches your goals and abilities. They can also show you how to exercise safely and effectively without aggravating your arthritis symptoms. • Maintain function. Physical therapy can help you maintain or restore your ability to perform everyday tasks like cooking, gardening, shopping, or playing with your grandchildren. Physical therapy treatment for arthritis is based on scientific evidence and tailored to your individual needs. It can also complement other treatments for arthritis, such as medications, bracing, or topical products. Research has shown that physical therapy can be more effective than steroid injections at reducing pain and disability in people with knee osteoarthritis. It can also have positive effects on fatigue, cardio fitness, cognition, and body composition in people with rheumatoid arthritis. If you have arthritis or know someone who does, don't let this month pass by without taking action. Contact your physical therapist for an appointment. You can also visit the websites of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) or the Arthritis Foundation to find a physical therapist near you or learn more about physical therapy for arthritis. Celebrate National Arthritis Month by taking charge of your health and your life with physical therapy! References: (1) How Does Physical Therapy Help Arthritis?. https://www.healthline.com/health/arthritis/doesphysical-therapy-help-arthritis. (2) Physical Therapy for Arthritis. https://www.arthritis.org/healthwellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/physical-therapies/physical-therapy-for-arthritis. (3) Ways physical therapy can alleviate arthritis pain. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/physical-therapy-for-arthritis. |
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