Balance/Vestibular Assessments and treatment
The ENT Center, AMC is the leading expert in our area for the diagnosis and treatment of Dizziness and Imbalance disorders. Please call our office at (318) 226-9441 for any questions and to set an appointment.
The ENT Center, AMC has been certified by the nationally respected American Institute of Balance (AIB) and chosen as part of its prestigious World Wide Network of Vestibular and Equilibrium Specialists. The Institute is among the world’s leading diagnostic, treatment, research and educational centers dedicated to the study of human equilibrium. The institute’s network of audiologists, physicians and physical therapists is recognized as receiving specialty post-graduate education and certification in this important clinical science.
Vestibular Assessments and Rehabilitation
With more than half the US population affected by balance or vestibular disorders at some point in their lives, the need for effective diagnostic and treatment approaches is clear. Unfortunately, diagnosis and treatment of balance disorders that do not quickly resolve on their own has historically been difficult due to the complex, multifactoral nature of the problems.
Balance control is a complex process that depends on appropriate organization of information from the gaze stabilization and postural stabilization systems, and coordinated responses of the voluntary and automatic motor systems. Dizziness and imbalance can be caused by disruptions in any one of these systems, or in the adaptive brain mechanisms that coordinate the actions of these systems.
Vestibular system integrity is important in the balance control process, but it is only one factor in the evaluation of balance function. Even when specific vestibular pathology is identified, the diagnostic and treatment planning process is incomplete, as the patient’s status may be further complicated by problems in other sensory or motor systems, or problems in the brain’s adaptive functions. "The first task of the practitioner, therefore, is to determine whether the problem is sensory, integrative, or motor in nature". Once this has been established, then an effective treatment plan can be prescribed, including medical, surgical, or rehabilitative strategies as appropriate.
Vestibular and Balance Rehab
Vestibular and balance rehabilitation is effective for appropriately identified patients and when customized to target specific impairment problems. The comprehensive balance assessment, which includes pathology, underlying impairments and functional limitations, can provide the necessary data for accurate treatment customization. The rehabilitation intervention itself is most appropriately provided by specially trained rehabilitation professionals familiar with the appropriate sensory, motor and adaptive training exercises.
Specifically, the specialist providing the rehabilitation component of the program should possess advanced training in the area of vestibular dysfunction and balance. Currently, core physical therapy education does not include entry-level knowledge of this complex patient population. For vestibular rehabilitation and balance retraining therapy, the hallmarks to look for in a rehabilitation professional is a thorough understanding of the interactions among pathological and impairment mechanisms and the use of objective assessment data for treatment planning that targets the individual patient’s specific needs.
To maximize the benefit of a rehabilitation program, the prescribed exercises must focus on resolving the underlying impairments and functional limitations. The exercises must also be appropriately challenging and keep the patient motivated. A generic approach to balance treatment will not be as effective as an approach that singles out the underlying impairments, and may not improve function at all.
To support effective treatment planning and improve functional outcomes, the clinician may use computerized training protocols, which can be customized to target the specific impairments of the individual patient. Deficits in multi-sensory integration exist in many individuals with vestibular loss. Retraining should, therefore, include protocols to address the sensory processing deficits, including sensory substitution and sensory-challenge exercises. Further, prescribed tasks in a variety of environments (unstable surface, moving visual field) will require the patient to update and prioritize sensory inputs and motor response. The difficulty level of the targeted exercises can be adjusted to match patient ability, and then increased to keep the patient challenged and maximize learning as the patient recovers.
Real time visual biofeedback further enhances motor learning by helping the patient understand the prescribed training task, and by providing both the patient and the clinician with instant feedback on how they are performing a prescribed task. As treatment progresses, this feedback can be gradually withdrawn and then eliminated as the patient’s functional capabilities improve and newly learned skills are integrated into more complex motor activities.