Balance Therapy

Muscle pain, stiffness, or limited mobility can make it hard to enjoy daily activities or perform at your best. Functional Dry Needling is a highly effective balance physical therapy that targets trigger points and tight muscles to relieve pain, restore movement, and accelerate healing. Unlike temporary fixes, this treatment addresses the root cause of discomfort, helping you feel stronger and more flexible over time.

At Virginia Ear Nose and Throat, our skilled physical therapists combine advanced techniques with compassionate care, creating customized treatment plans that empower you to move with freedom and confidence again.

What is Balance Therapy?

Balance therapy, also called vestibular balance physical therapy, helps patients with balance issues regain stability. The goal of vestibular balance therapy is to retrain the way the inner ear and the brain work with the other senses so that patients can return to their daily lifestyle with strength and confidence.

Through various exercises and techniques, physical therapists can help improve coordination, reduce dizziness, and restore normal movement patterns.

Our therapists and ENT specialists work together to treat patients who experience problems with balance. In addition to medication and other therapies, patients with vestibular orders often benefit from gait therapy, which helps to retrain the way the body works together to stabilize it.

Benefits of Balance Therapy

Patients often experience significant improvements in both physical and mental well-being, allowing them to navigate their surroundings more safely and comfortably. Whether due to age, injury, or a medical condition, balance therapy can offer effective solutions for better quality of life.

Candidates for Balance Therapy

Virginia Ear Nose and Throat’s Total Balance Center offers specialized physical therapy services to patients who struggle with balance. Our therapists are trained in evaluating and treating symptoms related to vestibular disorders and create customized treatment plans, including balance therapy, to fit patients’ specific needs. Patients who benefit from these services include:

• Older people who have fallen
• People with vertigo and inner ear disorders
• People with visual deficits
• Migraines

Diagnosing Balance Problems

Before our physical therapists are able to effectively treat patients, patients will first perform a series of balance tests using the Smart Equitest Balance Master. Testing includes:

Sensory Organization Test (SOT)

Patients perform a series of motions to assess how well the patient’s vision, inner ears, feet and ankles work together to create balance.

Motor Control Test (MCT)

Patients stand on the platform. As the platform moves backward, the therapist assesses how quickly and efficiently the patient regains balance.

Adaptation Test (ADT)

The platform rotates around the patient’s ankles. This helps assess the patient’s stability on irregular surfaces.

Limits of Stability (LOS)

Patients must move and sway around a target while keeping their feet on the ground, testing their ability to stay balanced.

Rhythmic Weight Shift (RWS)

Patients move from side to side, assessing the speed and efficiency of the patient when shifting their weight.

Motor Control Test (MCT)

Patients stand on the platform. As the platform moves backward, the therapist assesses how quickly and efficiently the patient regains balance.

Weight Bearing Squat (WBS)

The patient squats slowly and stops at different positions. This tests the patient’s weight-bearing ability, mobility and range of motion.

Unilateral Stance (US)

This assessment tests the patient’s stability by instructing them to stand on the right leg and then the left while opening and closing the eyes.

Find Your Steady Ground Again with Balance Therapy in Richmond, VA

You don’t have to let dizziness or unsteadiness hold you back from living life with confidence. With customized balance therapy, you can strengthen your stability, improve coordination, and reduce your risk of falls.

At Virginia Ear Nose and Throat, our compassionate team is here to guide you every step of the way with advanced treatments and personalized care.