Cincinnati Chiropractor

At my Cincinnati Chiropractic Clinic I treat a lot of elders who are challenged by balance problems. In fact, nine percent of adults, aged 65 and older, are affected by dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related problems. Good balance is crucial, of course, in aiding older adults to stay independent and to avoid falling down and incurring injuries that are commonly very serious or even fatal. But, would you be surprised to hear that falls are the cause of a large portion of work injuries for individuals under 65 years of age, including individuals in their twenties and thirties? That’s right! Balance challenges can occur at any age. In fact, those who work in “high places” like construction workers, roofers, oil platform employees, windows cleaners, or any other place where a ladder is required are in danger of serious injury if their balance is “off.”

The essential action of good balance is to aid us in managing and maintaining our body position, whether standing still or moving, and whether on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance aids us in walking without faltering, arising from a sitting position without swaying, and in climbing stairs without missing a step. To sum it up, then, good balance is vital to our health and well-being.

What come as a surprise to you is that you could have a balance dysfunction without realizing how significant it may be. On occasion an individual may be able to “shake off” a dizzy sensation and the feeling may not reoccur for a while. However when unexpected dizziness occurs at a critical time, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is most likely unpreventable.

The sensation by some individuals that they, themselves, are spinning or that objects around them are moving is called “vertigo.” Nearly forty percent 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. But, if you work at any of the jobs listed above, having a chiropractor check your balance before an episode of dizziness, make adjustments if needed, and then aid you in maintaining good balance, may save you from serious injury or worse.

Balance disorders are dangerous at any age. It is crucial for you to be examined and treated without delay if you think that you may have a possible balance disorder. Often guidelines are helpful. Therefore, 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?

As discussed above, 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. If you work in a job that makes your falling down a “critical” event, you need to have your balance checked. Don’t wait until it’s too late! If you’re in the Cincinnati area, give Cincinnati Chiropractic a call today!

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