At my Cincinnati Chiropractic Clinic I treat plenty of older adults who are challenged by balance problems. In fact, 9% of adults, aged 65 and over, are affected by dizziness, “wooziness,” and other balance-related problems. Good balance is crucial, of course, in aiding elders in continuing to be independent and to avoid falling down and sustaining injuries that are frequently extremely serious or even fatal. But, what you may not know is that falls produce a large percentage of work-related injuries for workers under 65 years of age, including those in their twenties and thirties. That’s right! Balance problems can take place 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 required are in danger of serious injury if their balance isn’t good.
The principal function of good balance is to assist us in managing and maintaining our body position, whether standing still or moving, and whether on the ground or high up on a platform. Good balance helps us to walk without stumbling, arise from a sitting position without swaying, and to climb stairs without slipping. To sum it up, then, good balance is vital to our health and well-being.
What is commonly surprising to some young adults, in particular is that they could have a balance dysfunction without any idea of how threatening it is. Sometimes a person can “shake off” a dizzy feeling and the sensation may not come back for a while. But, when unexpected dizziness comes about at a critical moment, it is too late to shake it off and a fall is usually certain.
Vertigo is the medical term for the sensation that you, or things around you, are spinning. Nearly 40% of people in the U.S. will have at least one episode of dizziness that is distressing enough to seek out help from a health professional, such as your Chiropractor at Cincinnati Chiropractic. That said, if you work at any of the jobs listed above, it is an excellent idea for you to see a chiropractor to have your balance checked prior to an unexpected episode of dizziness, rather than as a response to such an episode. Why? Because as a chiropractor, I can not only check your balance, and make corrections if necessary, but can aid you in maintaining good balance in the future. And, naturally, having good balance will likely save you from serious injury or worse.
Balance disorders are serious at any age. If you think that you might have a possible balance disorder, it is crucial for you to be evaluated and treated without delay. To help to make your decision easier 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?
Remember: Balance problems are not specific 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. All the more reason to have your balance checked if you work in a job that makes your falling down a “critical” issue. Don’t wait until you sustain a work injury! Call a Chiropractor today, and if you’re in the Cincinnati area, I’d love to be your Cincinnati Chiropractor!