Blog Category – Balance Vertigo

The first blog/video in this series was all about vertigo, particularly “inner ear vertigo” or BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo).

Click this link if you want to see the first part: https://physicaltherapyspokane.com/what-causes-vertigo-all-about-bppv/

In this second part, I’m going to share some specific information about how we help our clients fix BPPV quickly in the clinic by following a 3-step approach.

Before I give you those details, recall that BPPV has some very telling symptoms: people tend to have sudden and often severe episodes of vertigo following certain head movements or position changes (like tipping the head back, bending forward, getting in and out of bed, and rolling over in bed).

If this sounds like you or a loved one, the information below should be very helpful!

While there are multiple factors that affect your ability to maintain your balance and prevent a fall, it’s nice to look at the bigger picture before diving into the details.

And when it comes to maintaing balance, you can basically break it down into 3 things that you must do:

Sense your balance in relationship to your environment
Process this information via your brain
Respond and make necessary corrections

Each step involves various factors, which I’ll cover briefly in today’s video.

Today, we’re going to talk about Parkinson’s Disease (PD), as well as the common characteristics we see in patients with PD.

As a general introduction, we use the acronym “TRAP” to describe the most common changes in movement patterns:

I explain everything in detail in the video above, but here’s a quick overview of TRAP:
• T = Tremors
• R = Rigidity
• A = Akinesia
• P = Posture

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year, for a variety of reasons…

I love to watch all the new buds on the trees and shrubs… the strawberry patch perks up overnight, and the wife and kids and I head to the garden to plant our early-season seeds (radishes, carrots, kale, spinach, lettuce, chard…)

And while I’m outside running around and enjoying myself, I can’t help but think about those people who would like to be outside as well but really don’t end up getting out much.