Better Balance Program

Patient Care – What to Expect

We’ve been helping our community avoid falls and injuries for over 2 decades. Therapy typically lasts 6 weeks to 3 months. Here’s why patients choose us:

• Goal-oriented: Some people want to improve their balance so they can sit comfortably at a restaurant. Others want to make daily tasks, like getting dressed, easier. We’ll talk to you about your goals and help you achieve them.
• One-on-one treatment: You have our full attention during every session. Your therapist will only be working with you. And we do our best to make sure you see the same therapist at every appointment.
• Welcoming your family and support system: Family members or caregivers are welcome to attend your therapy sessions. This means they can observe your therapy and help you do the exercises at home.
• Easy access to care: We work with community partners to provide transportation to appointments, if needed.

What We Treat

The Better Balance Program can help individuals who:

• Are afraid of falling
• Aren’t physically active because of balance problems
• Complain of dizziness or lightheadedness
• Have a hard time getting up from a chair
• Have trouble walking or are unsteady on their feet
• Have recently fallen down
• Have neurological or arthritic/orthopedic conditions that limit physical abilities
• Have problems with senses, like numbness in the feet or trouble seeing
• Show muscle weakness

Better Balance Program: Evaluation and Therapies

We’ll start by evaluating how you walk, your posture and mobility. Then we’ll use advanced therapies to help you reduce your risk of falling.

Comprehensive Evaluations

• Analyzing the nature of your falls: We use tests that analyze your posture, mobility and strength to determine if you’re at risk for falling.
• Reviewing your medication: Reviewing your medication is important because it could be contributing to your falls. For example, if you’re taking more than 4 medications, you’re at higher risk for falling.
• Testing your posture, mobility and strength: We measure how fast you walk and how long it takes you to go from sitting to standing. We also analyze your gait (your pattern of walking and stepping). Then we can help you adjust in ways that reduce your risk of falling. For example, if you shuffle your feet when you walk, we might teach you calf muscle stretches. This can help you pick up your feet to reduce your risk of tripping and falling.

Advanced Physical Therapy

We use the latest techniques to reduce your risk of falling. For example:

• Building strength and mobility: We use advanced tools to help you get stronger and feel more comfortable walking. This includes tilt boards that help you improve balance. We also use specialized surfaces to help you become more comfortable with tasks like walking on uneven surfaces.
• Recreational therapy: Our specialists use recreational activities like music and movement to help improve or maintain your physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual wellness.