Center for Balance Disorders

It is estimated that as many as 40% of adults suffer from problems associated with dizziness or imbalances that are serious enough to report to a physician. Falls are the number one causes of injury in Americans aged 55 and over, and many of the falls are associated with dizziness or a balance disorder.

Regional Medical Center has combined their clinical staff and state-of-the-art equipment to offer advanced diagnostic and treatment services to patients who suffer from symptoms like dizziness, vertigo, unsteadiness, or loss of balance.

Due to the complexities associated with balance control, not all balance disorders are the same. Lisa Jenkins, the Director of Rehabilitative Services at RMC states, “If an individual is normal and healthy, the senses of touch, position, vision, and inner ear motion work together with the brain. If you have a balance disorder, it may be the result of a problem with one or a combination of these systems. Our new Balance Center uses several modalities conducted by our staff that is specially trained in the evaluation and treatment of these balance disorders.”

RMC has purchased specialized equipment called the NeuroCom Smart Equitest System. The Smart Equitest System is the only one of its kind in northeast Alabama and one of two in the entire state (the second is owned by NASA). The Equitest system measures the various components that affect an individual’s balance: vision, vestibular (inner ear) and somatosensory (position sense). The NeuroCom system places an individual through a series of tests and measures their reaction with a computerized platform. The equipment is about the size of a large phone booth and has a floor that has force plates and a motor that are connected to a computer. The patient is placed in a safety harness to keep them safe throughout the tests and treatments. They are asked to try and maintain their balance while engaged in the series of exercises such as closing their eyes as the platform moves, keeping eyes open as a color painted wall moves, or staying upright as the floor shifts.

In addition to the booth, RMC has purchased specialized goggles with a pair of infrared cameras connected to a computer called RealEyes. The goggles are placed on the patient and record the patient’s eyes as they are placed through various tests that provoke eye movement. There is a neurological connection between vestibular (inner ear) disorders and the motor control of the eyes. The goggles enable the therapist to see the movements that are associated with these disorders. The therapist will move or ask the patient to move their head or eyes in various directions such as, up, right, left, or a combination of these movements. The patient’s reaction is recorded and then used to help provide the proper treatment associated with the disorder.

The Balance Center is located at the Tyler Center, on the corner of Leighton and 8th Street on the RMC campus. For more information or a referral please call the Rehab Services Department at 256-235-5688.

“Problems with dizziness or a lack of balance are often dismissed as being unimportant, or simply a part of growing older,” Jenkins said. “As a result, thousands of people are needlessly suffering with these problems, and as a result, lose their independence far sooner than they should. It is very possible that the ability to work, run errands, or drive a car can be significantly extended through the assistance of a balance restorative program run by specially trained therapists.”

For more information about our balance center click here