Members of different medical institutions gave a presentation entitled “Therapy for Balance and Dizziness” in the VIP Room at 8 p.m. on Monday, December 10.
The presentation was given by Ellen Bodner, PT, DPT, the founder and executive director of Ellen Bodner Physical Therapy and the Balance Center; Karen Hogan-Curran, PT, who works at the Balance Center; and Dr. Mehrdad Golzad, the Chief of Neurology at St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers in the Brooklyn and Queens region.
“Over 40 million Americans will have some complaint of dizziness in their lifetime so it is a very, very common occurrence,” Bodner said.
Hogan-Curran went on to give further related statistics. She said that 90 million Americans are estimated to experience dizziness at least once in their lifetime. She also said that it is a major problem for people over the age of 65.
During the presentation, Hogan-Curran gave the definition of what a fall actually is.
“The correct definition according to the CDC and according to all the statistics that you’re going to hear is an event when a person comes to rest on the ground on another level with or without loss of consciousness,” she said.
Two of the sensory systems that are involved with balance are the visual system and the proprioceptive/somatosensory system. The visual system enables a person to see where they are in relation to other objects whereas the other system enables a person to sense muscles and joints and feel when their body has moved.
Another system that is used is the vestibular system.
“It’s an internal system which is used to resolve conflict,” Hogan-Curran explained. She said that an example of it is being able to detect speed changes while driving. She continued, “Problems of the vestibular system can lead to significant dizziness and balance deficit.”
Hogan-Curran said balance and vestibular rehbilitation treatment is an effective way to assist people with vestibular and central balance system disorders. Prior to treatment, the person is evaluated using specific tests. They then go through specialized rehabilitation that Hogan-Curran said is much different from regular physical therapy.
In beginning his portion of the presentation, Golzad said that it is not normal to lose balance as a person gets older.
“If you have a balance problem, it is not because you have reached a certain age,” he said. “There’s a problem there.”
Golzad said that one of the most common causes of balance problems is Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. Other causes can be an infection in one of the nerves that delivers information between the inner ear and brain, brain tumors, nerve tumors and Meniere’s Disease.
Golzad also spoke about treatment methods, such as therapy and exercise. He also said that there is a surgery that can be performed if other methods are ineffective.
Presentation Focuses On Balance And Dizziness Problems
By Jessica Lyons
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