Cincinnati Chiropractic

At my Cincinnati Chiropractic Clinic I treat many older adults who are affected by balance problems. In fact, 9% of adults, aged 65 and over, have episodes of dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related conditions. Good balance is essential, of course, in aiding seniors to stay independent and to avoid falling down and sustaining injuries that are often extremely serious or even fatal. But, what you may not know is that falls are the cause of a large percentage of work-related injuries for adults under 65 years of age, including individuals in their twenties and thirties. That’s right! Balance problems can happen at any age. That is why those who work in”precarious locations” like construction workers, roofers, oil platform employees, windows cleaners, or anywhere else where a ladder is involved are in danger of serious injury if their balance is “off.”

The chief function of good balance is to help us to manage and maintain our body position, whether we are standing still or moving, and whether we are on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance assists us in walking without staggering, arising from a sitting position without tottering, and in climbing stairs without tripping. In other words, good balance is extremely important to our health and well-being.

What you may not know could have a balance dysfunction without any idea of how threatening it may be. On occasion someone can “shake off” a dizzy sensation and the sensation may not come back for a while. The problem is that when sudden dizziness comes about at a decisive time, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is often certain.

The feeling by some individuals that they, personally, are spinning or that objects around them are moving is known as “vertigo.” About forty percent of people in the U.S. will have at least one incidence of dizziness that is acute enough to seek out 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 prior to a distinct episode of vertigo, make corrections 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 evaluated and treated without delay if you believe that you may have a possible balance disorder. In fact, if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions, even if the experience is seldom or infrequent, it is highly recommended that you 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 isolated to a particular age group. From the time we learn to walk until we take our final step, our falling down is an ever-present possibility. 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! Call a Chiropractor today, and if you’re in the Cincinnati area, I’d love to be your Cincinnati Chiropractor!

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