Balance & Falls

balance & falls

Do you find yourself shuffling your feet, having to use furniture to help balance around your home, being unsteady, or even stumbling while walking? Did you know, more than 1 out of 4 people fall each year, but less than half tell their doctor? In fact, falling once doubles your chances of falling again with 1 out of 5 falls leading to serious injury. Contrary to popular belief, falling is not an inevitable result of aging. What can affect balance?
OUR SERVICES
The three areas with the greatest impact on overall balance are: visual, proprioception, and vestibular. 1. Visual: Our eyes provide information about where our body is in relation to the surrounding environment when moving.

2. Proprioception: We gather information from our ability to feel and the pressure sensations received from the body part that is in contact with the floor, whether it be our feet, prosthetic device, and/or assistive device.

3. Vestibular: Our vestibular system or inner ear provides us with our general sense of balance or orientation. This helps us determine where our head is in relation to our surroundings – are you upside down or right side up?

At The Gait Center we strive to bring awareness to the increasing rate of falls in the United States per year. While our licensed therapy professionals are qualified in not only identifying balance problems but providing evidence-based fall prevention treatment to meet the individual needs of those at increased risk of falls. Our approach will always address physical, environmental, and mental concerns for each patient individually, as we realize that reducing falls is not a simple on-size-fits-all solution. Additionally, our facility is specifically designed with large open areas for agility, balance equipment, the world’s longest Parallel Bars, and Custom Stair-Ramp-Curb Assembly for balance training and implementation of fall prevention strategies to reduce the risk of falls.

Our goal is to reduce the number of falls by patients, through awareness, education, and treatment. We want patients to live their fullest lives, remain safe, and enjoy the freedom to move!

To Schedule An Appointment Call 804-523-2653

Contact Us: Phone: 804-523-2653 Fax: 804-767-4415
8191 Staples Mill Road Richmond, Virginia 23228 LRStech@gaitcenter.com
Hours of Operation Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm Saturday & Sunday: Closed