UAB Synopsis, Vol. 27, No. 19, May 19, 2008
New rehabilitation program detects and treats disorders
The Balance Rehabilitation Program, available through the Outpatient Physical Therapy Department at Spain Rehabilitation Center, offers therapy designed to help patients combat balance and vestibular problems and prevent falls.
“The program helps physicians identify and treat patients at risk for falls or with decreased mobility because of balance impairment,” says UAB Clinical Coordinator for Outpatient Physical Therapy Gayle Benson, PT, ATP. “For many patients, our program means the difference between living independently or moving to an assisted-living or nursing-care facility.”
Benson says patients answering “yes” to any of the following questions are at risk for falls:
- Have you had two or more falls in the past year?
- Have you had one fall with an injury in the past year?
- Have you felt unsteady or nearly fallen?
- Are you afraid that you are going to fall?
Patients undergo an evaluation to determine the source of balance and vestibular dysfunction. The balance control system’s sensory and motor components also are examined, since they are keys to identifying the origin of problems, Benson says.
Sensory impairment can cause vestibular, visual, or peripheral sensory loss while motor impairment results in decreased strength, range of motion, and coordination.
“Patients needing extensive analysis undergo testing using computerized dynamic posturography [CDP], sensory organization testing, vestibular screening, or dynamic vision testing,” Benson says. CDP examines the interaction of sensory input in the brain by exposing patients to a variety of controlled visual and support-surface conditions.
“Our testing allows us to determine if a patient’s problem is a sensory, motor, or vestibular issue or a combination of them all,” she says. Armed with this information, therapists develop interventions to address patients’ specific impairments.
Patients with neurological impairments stemming from traumatic brain injury, cerebral vascular accident, Parkinson disease, or peripheral neuropathy are candidates for the program, as are those with orthopaedic conditions and injuries, including joint replacement, chronic ankle sprains, and lower limb amputation.
Physician referrals are required. Call 205.975.4922 or fax referrals to 205 .934.4351.