Hydrotherapy & Aquatic Equipment for Balance Disorders

Overview of Balance Disorders

Balance disorders are about more than just falling and tripping. Balance problems can appear in various ways, each with its own unique set of symptoms. If you notice that you have balance difficulties regularly, it's probably worth exploring whether they're causing other issues. 

Balance disorders are often a group of conditions or ailments that affect a person's ability to maintain their centre of gravity. Balance is the constant ability to maintain your centre of gravity or the point at which one is most stable. It means being able to resist tipping over while remaining upright and stable.

Balance disorders can manifest as imbalances in any components that make up your sense of balance. Poor posture, muscle weakness, sensory issues, and cognitive challenges can all contribute to a lack of balance, and it's important to note that balance is separate from agility. 

Agility tests your ability to move through space quickly and efficiently. In contrast, balance tests your ability to move through space with a steady and balanced gait. Agility is a result of balance, not the other way around.

Balance problems can present as a result of a variety of different underlying factors, including deficits in:

• Coordination

• Muscle strength

• Sensory feedback

• Mental imagery

Fortunately, most balance disorders can be treated for improvement with the right balance therapy.

What is a Balance Disorder?

Balance disorders are common, everyone has them to a certain extent, but they can be difficult to notice because they're so subtle. But when they're bad, they can cause problems in everyday life. They are only noticed when something goes haywire, like when a person loses their balance and falls. Balance disorders are different from persistent falling. When you're walking, you're balancing naturally; however, when you are falling or feel that you are going to fall, something is wrong. They can also occur without you even knowing. When your balance is off your gait is often off too. 

Balance disorders are actually really common and not as noticeable as they once might have been. Balance disorders can cause problems in everyday life, not just when you're trying to walk, and can make it hard to walk, run, and play sports.  They can affect how you sleep, how you drive, and how you work. 

There are many different conditions that can fall under the umbrella of balance disorders. Some of the most common include: 

Vertigo - Dizziness that creates the false sense that you or your surroundings are spinning or moving. The condition can feel similar to motion sickness, but it’s not the same as lightheadedness.

Parkinson's disease - The rate at which a person's nerve cells die causes a loss of movement control. Parkinson's is a slowly progressing condition, though treatment can prolong the time that a person can still move. 

Dystonia - Muscles become involuntary and contract in ways that they're not supposed to. This can cause a wide range of imbalances, including uncontrollable movements, loss of balance, and even speech issues.

Multiple Sclerosis - Nerve function is also affected by this disease, leading to numbness, spasms, and physical imbalances. In addition to these varied symptoms, people with MS may also experience cognitive issues, including memory loss.

Dizziness -The best way to prevent dizziness is to know when it happens to you. How? By recognizing the signs. You might not be aware that dizziness is happening to you until you're experiencing it. The signs of dizziness are: 

• The room seems to spin around you 

• Headache 

• Feeling faint 

• Sweating 

Dizziness can be a clear sign of a balance disorder. If you have any of these signs, take a break from whatever you're doing and wait until you feel better. If you're having dizziness for a long time, talk to your doctor.

Vestibular Disorder: This disorder causes motion sickness and dizziness. It's a reaction to certain places or situations and can cause balance interruptions. 

Cerebellar Ataxia: This disorder causes problems with balance and walking. It causes problems with coordination. It's called cerebellar ataxia because that's where it starts. People with this disorder might have problems with fine motor skills, like when you try to write with a pen. They might also have problems with gross motor skills, like getting out of a chair.

Huntington's Disease- This disorder is caused by a genetic condition. It causes uncontrolled muscle movements. You might also have balance problems and instability. Huntington's disease is inherited.

Who is more likely to suffer from a balance disorder?

Balance disorders affect people of all ages. They can affect anyone, regardless of their weight or athletic ability. Balance disorders are most common in the elderly population, but anyone can experience them. 

Balance disorders can range greatly from mild to severe. A mild balance disorder may only cause minor problems with balance and walking. In contrast, a more severe balance disorder may cause you to have difficulty walking, standing, and sitting. 

Balance disorders can cause problems in many different areas of your life. The most common balance disorders are:

• Difficulty maintaining balance

• Gait

• Coordination 

It's not uncommon at all for older people to have difficulty walking, standing, or sitting. But if balance disorders become a chronic problem, they're often called vestibular disorders. This is because balance disorders can affect your vestibular system, the part of the nervous system that controls balance and movement. A sudden change in your balance can also cause instability. Suppose you have difficulty balancing yourself when sitting down or standing up from a seated or lying position. In that case, you have difficulty keeping your balance.

When thinking about a balance disorder, one might assume that they're something that only affects certain people or in certain situations.  However, that couldn't be further from the actual truth.  Balance disorders are something that everyone can experience from time to time. However, certain people are inherently more likely to develop a balance disorder than others. If you find yourself suffering from a balance disorder, it's essential to understand the factors that may be contributing to the development of the condition.

Many factors can contribute to a balance disorder. Still, some groups of people are more likely to suffer from them than others.  Older adults, for example, are more likely to experience a decline in balance and coordination as they age. 

People with certain medical conditions are also at an increased risk of developing a balance disorder: 

• Diabetes

• Parkinson's disease

• Multiple sclerosis

Symptoms of a Balance Disorder

In order for a medical professional to diagnose a balance disorder, they will pay close attention to a person's symptoms. 

The symptoms of a balance disorder don't always appear in isolation, either; they may be accompanied by symptoms from other diseases or conditions. Here are some common symptoms: 

Poor balance: Managing your own body weight is the first step to standing upright and staying balanced. Symptoms include a tendency to walk or stand in dangerous places and a feeling of "unsteadiness" in the legs. 

Dizziness:Dizziness is a common symptom of a balance disorder. Dizziness is the feeling of spinning, floating, or being ungrounded. You might feel a bit dizzy on standing up quickly, sitting down quickly, or walking or heading in one direction for a long time.

Trouble walking, running, or climbing stairs:A lack of coordination and balance is usually accompanied by a lack of strength. 

Stumbling: Stumbling is a sign of dizziness that progresses to a fall. Falling is dangerous and can cause serious injuries, including fractures. Dizziness can cause you to walk unsteadily and make you unsteady when you walk. Stumbling is a sign that progresses to a fall. If you stumble and then fall, this could cause serious injuries. If you stumble and then fall without any other signs that could cause a fall, you may need more medical attention.

Falls: Falls clearly indicate that you may have a balance issue. 

Decreased sensory feedback:This can also make it hard to know whether you're standing on the right or left foot, which can cause a feeling of being unbalanced or uncoordinated.

Causes

There are several possible causes of a balance disorder. Other possible causes of a balance disorder include:

Age: Age related changes in the nervous system and medications can cause changes to balance.

Medications: Another possible cause of a balance disorder is medications. Some medicines can cause dizziness by interfering with the balance system in the body. This is called a vestibular system disorder.

Other medical conditions:Certain other medical conditions can also lead to a balance disorder. One is a condition called multiple system atrophy. This rare neurological condition causes paralysis and then loss of balance.

Water Therapy & Balance Disorders

Like any system composed of parts, the human body has an intricate balance that needs to be maintained. When any of these parts are out of balance, the entire body suffers. If a person has a balance disorder, the body's inner equilibrium is disrupted. The individual experiences dizziness, vertigo, or other imbalance symptoms. 

By helping to restore inner equilibrium and balance to the body, we can better understand what balance disorders are and how water therapy in balance disorders can help recover internal equilibrium is the first step to learning how water therapy in balance disorders can be a positive part of your treatment.

People with balance disorders may notice that they have a tendency to feel "out of it" or "fuzzy" after they've been in a state of activity. They might feel "groggy" or "muzzy" after being up for an extended period. This may be a sign that the body has become out of balance.  

The practitioner can use water therapy in balance disorders to help the body regain its inner equilibrium. The body can receive more information from the nerves and muscles that make movement possible. The therapist can also help the body regain its flexibility and mobility by stimulating the muscles and joints that allow for joint movement.

Water Therapy Can Help With Coordination

Water therapy can help with coordination by improving balance and proprioception. Proprioception is the ability to sense the overall position of your body in space. Improving proprioception can help with coordination because it gives you a better sense of where your limbs are in relation to the rest of your body.  Balance is another crucial factor in coordination. Good balance helps you maintain control over your body and makes it easier to create smooth, coordinated movements.

Water Therapy Can Help With Dizziness

Water therapy can help with dizziness by reducing the amount of blood flow to the brain and increasing blood flow to the rest of the body.  This can help reduce the amount of pressure on the brain and improve brain function.

Water Therapy Can Help With Improved Posture

Water therapy can help improve posture by strengthening the muscles and improving flexibility and coordination.  The water's resistance helps to tone the muscles. In contrast, the water's warmth can help relax the muscles and improve the range of motion, allowing a repetition of movement to be learned without the fear of falling. 

Water Therapy Can Help With Removing The Fear Of Falling

Water therapy can help to remove the fear of falling during movement by providing a safe and supportive environment to practice moving without the fear of falling.  The water will support your body and help you feel more stable as you move. This can help to build confidence and reduce the fear of falling.

Water Therapy Can Help Improve Sensory Feedback

Water therapy can help improve sensory feedback on movement because it provides resistance to the body. This resistance helps to improve proprioception, which is the ability to feel the position of your limbs in space. The added resistance of water also helps to increase muscle strength and endurance.

Water Therapy Equipment & Balance Disorders

A Hydrorider Aqua Treadmill is a brilliant piece of aquatic equipment that can help those with a balance disorder. It enables walking or running with minimal pain or fear and helps to build stabilising muscles and posture.The underwater treadmill allows a more natural posture and gait pattern to occur in the water as opposed to in a static pool. These proper biomechanics created in the unweighted environment carry over to land movements.The water resistance of the treadmill workout can help to challenge the user and provide a better exercise. The treadmill can also help with proprioceptive input and vestibular stimulation.

The Treadmill is small in size and can easily fit in a home or aquatic centre pool. You can easily walk or run long distances with a balance disorder in even the smallest of pools and not worry about turning, falling or injury.

A Hydrorider Aqua Bike is also another great piece of aquatic equipment that can aid balance disorders, and enable exercise at a high intensity with confidence or without the fear of falling. The seat of an aquabike provides security and stability. The cycling and arms motions build strength, stability and coordination. Inbalanced strength, one side weakness, is a common cause of destabilisation, imbalance or a fall. The standing and climbing movements can help build even body strength, both sides, and improve balance and stability.

Note: Please seek medical advice before exercising & always train under the advice your medical specialist.