Balance, Fall Risk, and Gait Disorders

Balance and Fall Risk

Balance can be defined as an individual’s ability to control their center of gravity within their base of support. Balance involves regulating posture and movement via the cerebellum and by processing sensory inputs from our three primary balance systems–vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive in the cerebral cortex. Aging, injury, surgery, general deconditioning, neurological dysfunction, weakness, limited range of motion, and cognitive decline can adversely affect balance and increase fall risk. Besides directly addressing your balance systems, at Boise Physical Therapy 180 we address your strength, flexibility, posture, reaction time, processing of sensory information, and aerobic capacity. This leads to reduced fear of falling, improved self-efficacy, and overall improvement in activity level and quality of life.

Gait Disorders

Walking is an integral part of our daily activity with gait speed being an important indicator of overall health. Walking is critical to maintaining our independence, especially as we age. At Boise Physical Therapy 180 we use visual gait analysis to investigate faulty gait patterns and biomechanics. This may include using a smart phone app to slow down walking or running motion to better assess problematic or pathologic patterns contributing to tissue injury, irritation, or pain. We then provide correction to these faulty motor patterns via re-education of your nervous system and through therapeutic exercise.