Finding Your Footing: Physical Therapy for Balance and Gait
How we walk says more about us than you might think—especially when it comes to balance and gait. These two crucial threads empower us to navigate life’s paths—keeping us upright and stable, even on uneven terrain. It may seem simple, but the process is incredibly complex!
The gait cycle is the pattern your arms and legs make as you walk. It includes 4 basic parts: heel strike as your foot hits the ground, the mid-stance as you roll forward on your foot, the toe-off as your toes leave the ground, and the swing phase as your leg swings forward for the next step—repeated for each leg, over and over again as you walk.
Balance is your ability to maintain your center of gravity and remain upright in space. This involves the concept of “proprioception”—your body’s ability to gauge action, location in space, and movement.
To do all of this at once without falling, your brain, eyes, nervous system, and musculoskeletal system all must work in concert to stay upright and move forward in different scenarios. Unfortunately, more than 3 million people end up in the emergency room with injuries every year because gait and balance problems lead to falls! Fortunately, physical therapy can help with balance and gait issues.
Potential Balance and Gait Problems
But before we dive into today’s physical therapy success story, let’s talk about just some of the most common problems that might necessitate coming to physical therapy for balance and gait issues:
Age-Related Changes: As we age, weakening muscle tone, bone loss, joint inflammation, and hormonal changes can cause an unsteady gait, which can throw you off balance.
Medical Conditions: Some medical conditions can impact gait and balance too, including Parkinson’s disease, strokes, arthritis, vertigo, dizzy spells, diabetes, etc.
Injuries: Injuries like sprains, strains, fractures, and concussions can cause difficulties with balance, especially because the uninjured side of the body overcompensates for the injured side of the body, causing an unsteady gait.
Fortunately, physical therapy can help remedy gait and balance problems to keep you upright and moving ahead in life! Here at A Life in Balance Physical Therapy in Flemington NJ, Dr. Aurora has been working with our amazing patient Liz on this very issue, and they both have a lot of wisdom to share with us about gaining and maintaining a healthy gait and balance through physical therapy.
Bringing Gait and Balance Back Together
Liz, who, like us, loves a great Italian dinner, started coming to see us about the leg and knee pain she was having, and we quickly realized that big parts of her struggle were gait and balance problems.
“I have been coming to ALIB for several issues regarding leg pain,” explains Liz, 69. “I was having balance issues and pain while walking. It limited my comfort level while conducting day-to-day activities. My motivation is to be able to go on walks, garden, and do my normal everyday activities without pain or discomfort.”
Liz has worked with nearly everyone here at A Life in Balance Physical Therapy in Flemington NJ, and we just love her! “Currently, I am working with Aurora on balance issues and reducing knee pain,” says Liz.
A Physical Therapist’s Perspective: Diagnosing Balance and Gait Problems to Find Solutions
“Liz had a hard time standing with one foot in front of the other on the floor and on one leg,” explains Dr. Aurora.
So when Liz first came in for help, the ALIB team did a lot of different PT tests to discover where the imbalances were that were complicating her leg and knee pain, as well as throwing off her gait and balance.
“We had Liz stand on the floor with her feet together, and then had her close her eyes to eliminate the visual system,” says Dr. Aurora. “Then we had her stand with her feet together on foam to challenge her proprioception. We also had Liz position her feet one foot in front of another or even on one leg to see how her balance was when her base of support changed. Then we had her close her eyes and added foam.”
Based on how Liz performed on each of these tasks, the ALIB team devised a set of physical therapy exercises for balance and gait improvement, especially for Liz.
Physical Therapy Exercises for Balance and Gait
“I was intrigued to learn that several of my muscles are overcompensating because of under-working muscles,” says Liz. Since she first came to ALIB, she has worked hard on all the various physical therapy exercises for balance and gait that the team has coached her on. “The staff is excellent. They are knowledgeable, patient, and kind. You are working one-on-one with someone who is familiar with your health and committed to helping you improve.”
“During treatment sessions, Liz practiced diligently and can now stand with one foot in front of the other for more than one minute, both with her eyes open and closed,” explains Dr. Aurora. “As balance tasks on the floor got easier, we challenged her by adding foam to her balance exercises as well as asking her to do other tasks such as reaching while balancing.”
Often, Dr. Aurora would have Liz stand on foam or on one foot while tossing and catching a ball. This helped challenge her balance even more because she had to shift her weight to catch the ball. This helps Liz become more comfortable balancing on uneven surfaces and more challenging activities, which helps with her daily walks outside over uneven terrain.
“My balance has improved considerably, and I have resumed short daily walks!” says Liz. “I also enjoy the exercises where we place lacrosse balls behind my knees, and massaging the knees back and forth to reduce my knee pain.”
August Functional Movement Challenge: Rotation
Liz is also ready for this month’s functional movement challenge to improve her gait and balance even more. The challenge is called “Rotation” and it’s essential for building core strength and overall functionality. It’s also one of our effective physical therapy exercises for balance and gait!
Proper form is crucial to make these exercises effective. Rotation engages numerous muscles, including your glutes, hamstrings, and especially your lower back, which is key for maintaining strength and stability. So, just like last month, we're tailoring this movement to suit your abilities:
For those needing modifications: Start by standing on a foam pad with a narrow base of support, looking behind you while maintaining your balance.
For most clients: Perform walking lunges with rotations. How many can you do in 30 seconds?
For our athletes: The challenge is to squat jump and turn 180 degrees. Push off hard and let's see how many you can do in 30 seconds.
And of course, just contact us if you have any questions about these exercises! Let us know how it’s going on our Facebook or Instagram!
Physical Therapy in Flemington NJ for Bolstering Balance and Gait
Good balance and an even gait are important for everyone so they can avoid pain and injury as they go through life. If you’re struggling with anything that throws off your balance or gives you an uneven gait, schedule an appointment with us at ALIB in Hunterdon County! And take these words of advice from Liz: “Be persistent in doing your at-home exercises and be patient. Improvement takes time!” Thanks, Liz! And we are here to help you all the way!
