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- Physiotherapy
- Mon-Fri 7am-7pm
- Sat 8am-6pm
- Sun 9am-12pm
- (08) 9382 9600
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Falls can be caused by balance problems, or other health conditions which cause muscle weakness and decreased mobility. One in five falls lead to serious injury, and your risk of falling keeps increasing with each decade of life. As we age, all of our systems start to slow down, which can result in poor balance and falling.
Continuing to exercise as we get older, and doing activities and targeted exercises to challenge our balance is the key to maintaining a healthy system.
There are a number of factors which contribute to balance including:
Our physiotherapists can assess your balance and create an exercise program targeted to your needs which will aim to improve your reflexes, saving responses and overall mobility and fitness. Our goal is to keep you safe and mobile at whatever age or level of fitness.
Another thing that can impact your balance and cause falls or dizziness are problems with your vestibular system.
Issues affecting your inner ear and some nerves are referred to as peripheral vestibular disorders, meaning they are caused by an issue in the vestibular system outside your brain. They can result in symptoms such as dizziness (often referred to as vertigo), imbalance, nausea, vomiting or ringing in the ears (called tinnitus). Often the cause of these are unknown and comes on very suddenly without warning, but they can be related to medications, infections or trauma to the head.
Common Peripheral Vestibular Disorders:
Central Vestibular disorders are those related to an issue with the brain. They can also cause problems with dizziness, balance, falls and visual changes such as blurry or double vision. You will usually require a scan of your brain to diagnose this issue and it is always recommended to see your doctor or call an ambulance as soon as possible if you suspect this problem.
Common Central Vestibular Disorders:
Correct diagnosis and treatment of vestibular disorders is very important to aid you in a speedy recovery. Physiotherapy intervention under medical guidance can help to relieve symptoms of vertigo, improve balance and mobility, and assist in returning to day to day activities as quickly as possible.
Jen Douglass has been a part of the Thoracare team for 8 years and is currently working with both outpatients and inpatients. She is currently the inpatient physiotherapy coordinator on the general medical and respiratory wards. Jen completed her degree at Curtin University, and has worked predominantly in the areas of cardio-respiratory, cardio-thoracic and inpatient rehabilitation. These are her main areas of interest, in which she enjoys gaining further experience and knowledge by working in an outpatient setting. She has also completed some further training in rehabilitation of dizziness and balance issues. Outside work Jen enjoys spending as much time as she can with friends and family.
