Good balance

requires a strong ability to relax when we are off balance.  One of the worst things we can do when we feel off balance is to tense our muscles.  If we try to stop ourselves from moving or swaying, we will only become more off balance.

I fell three

times yesterday while running outside (I was not being chased.  I like to run for many reasons).  Ice had covered the snow and was impossible to break through for traction.  My falls made me think about what my clients who fall must feel like.

Falling is so much more common during times when precipitation occurs.  Ice is a huge cause of falls.  Black ice is even worse.  As tempting as it is to walk onto ice (to go get the mail, shovel the drive way, walk the dog, etc), it should be avoided at all causes.  

Ice is not the only type of precipitation that makes us much more likely to fall.  When surfaces become wet they can sometimes be very similar to ice.  Wet grass, tile, linoleum, wood and blacktop can all make a person much more likely to fall.

Inclines or uneven surfaces that become wet or icy increase the risk of falling exponentially.

The Dizzy Pie

Many times, my clients are not dizzy for one reason alone.  Many have multifactoral dizziness.  As a result, I find myself picturing my client's problem with dizziness like a big pie with each piece representing one of the reasons for their dizziness.  For instance, 1/5th of the dizzy pie may be an inner ear weakness, 1/5th may be from disuse dysequilibrium, 2/5ths may be from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and 1/5th may be from visual dependence.