3 Ways PT Can Help You Regain Balance After An Accident

Most people can learn to stand and walk around before they’re even a year old, so when we lose that ability well into our adult or even adolescent life, it can create a lot of frustration and insecurity in our ability to perform daily tasks. That can look like struggling to stand long enough to load the dishwasher, or even having a hard time standing still while waiting in line at the grocery store. Our daily life is challenged when our balance is compromised. As frustrating as this can feel, there are ways that a great Physical Therapist can help you get back on your feet- literally!

So What Causes A Loss Of Balance?

After an accident, many injuries could cause a loss of balance in many different areas of the body. A pinched nerve can cause uncomfortability, leading to a loss of balance and this can happen anywhere in the body where you have nerves! Whiplash affects the neck and back, causing vertigo. Even spraining an ankle can create a very uncomfortable sensation when pressure is applied, causing you to hobble around. Loss of balance is, unfortunately, a very common ailment after a wide variety of injuries.

What Areas Of The Bodt Are Most Likely To Cause Loss Of Balance?

Four main areas of the body affect balance. Of course, there is a Traumatic Brain Injury. A TBI can lead to balance issues for several reasons depending on where the injury happened within the brain. Next, Damage to feet, ankles, or legs is the most obvious way someone may have lost balance after an accident. After all, when we stand, the lower half of our body is the trunk of our physical movement, providing a stable base for any activity. The back, more specifically, the spine, is a huge reason we don’t wobble like babies when we’re getting around. This means, that if there has been damage to the spine or back area, a lot of our stability is gone. Lastly, our arms are the perfect mirror for our legs, creating a perfect form for balance. If one of our arms is injured or in a sling, it can take some acclimating getting around and relying on other areas of the body to overcompensate.

So How Can Physical Therapy Help?

PT can help repair and strengthen physical damage to the body. Your Physical Therapist is there to create a unique and effective plan, custom-created for your injury and comfortability levels. Many treatments include exercises, which use repetitive movements, equipment, and even recognizing pressure points. Further into treatment, many Physical Therapists will also assign you some movements or exercises to perform at home so healing can stay linear and consistent.

Balance training. On top of your Physical Therapist helping you through strength training exercises and mobility stretches, they can also have you work on balance in tandem to gain back strength, so long as your injury permits! There is rarely a reason to wait until everything is healing to 100% to gain balance back. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but being able to balance while off-skelter will just help your balance improve once you are back to your everyday life, which is never a bad thing. Ideally, this can help transition you to more intense sessions with your Physical Therapist, thus getting you back to performing daily tasks promptly.

Physical Therapy can improve confidence! It can feel very overwhelming when something as second nature as standing up or walking becomes a challenge. In a lot of cases, mental strain can play a crucial role in your ability to balance and move the way you used to. The last thing you want to do is try something too quickly and hurt yourself even more. Having a Physical Therapist present to ensure your safety, while also explaining the likelihood of success regarding specific exercises can help you feel ready to take the next steps in your healing journey.

Ready To Reach Out?

Our goal at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel is to get you back on your feet, doing the things you love, as efficiently as possible! If you or someone you know is experiencing a loss of balance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. At Impact Medical, we’re on your side! Give us a call at 813-953-1002 so you can start your healing journey today.