How balance works: your feet, eyes and inner ear as a team

Your phone knows which way is up. It blends signals from tiny motion sensors to keep the screen turned the right way. Your body runs a similar system every time you stand, walk or turn your head, only with living sensors.

This Tech Tuesday post looks at the three systems behind balance, why balance can change over time, and a few simple ways to support steady steps at home.

The three-sensor team

According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the brain combines signals from three main sources:

1. The inner ear. This is the vestibular system. Tiny structures sense head position and movement, like a built-in motion sensor.
2. The eyes. Vision tells the brain where the body is in relation to the things around it.
3. The feet, legs, muscles and joints. Touch sensors and muscle sensors in the legs report where the body is and what's underfoot. This sense is called proprioception.

The brain blends all three streams into one picture and adjusts the muscles to keep you upright.

Why balance can change with age

NIDCD notes that the risk of balance problems increases as we get older. The CDC points to several things that can play a part:

• some medicines, or combinations of medicines, that cause sleepiness or dizziness;
• changes in vision;
• less activity, which leads to weaker legs;
• hazards at home, such as clutter, slippery rugs and poor lighting.

Falls are common. According to the CDC, more than one in four adults 65 and older falls each year, and less than half tell their doctor.

A quick home check

These ideas come from the CDC's "Check for Safety" home checklist:

• Keep floors and stairs clear of papers, shoes and clutter.
• Remove throw rugs, or secure them with double-sided tape or a non-slip backing.
• Coil or tape electrical cords along the wall.
• Put lights at the top and bottom of the stairs, and handrails on both sides.
• Add grab bars inside and next to the tub and next to the toilet, plus non-slip mats in the tub or shower.
• Keep a lamp within easy reach of the bed, and night lights along the path to the bathroom.

A safe balance habit: counter weight shifts

The National Institute on Aging says balance exercises can help prevent falls, and it suggests keeping a sturdy chair, a wall or a person nearby for support. Here's a gentle place to start at a kitchen counter:

1. Stand facing the counter with your feet about hip-width apart and both hands resting on it.
2. Slowly shift your weight toward your right foot. Hold for 5 seconds.
3. Come back to center, then shift toward your left foot. Hold for 5 seconds.
4. Shift gently forward toward your toes, then back toward your heels, holding each for 5 seconds.
5. Repeat the whole sequence 3 times. Keep both hands on the counter the whole time.

Move slowly and stay in a comfortable range. Stop if anything hurts, or if you feel numbness, tingling or dizziness. If you're pregnant, recovering from an injury or managing a health condition, check with your doctor first.

When to see a medical doctor

NIDCD suggests talking with a doctor about feeling unsteady, a sense that the room is spinning (even briefly), losing balance and falling, feeling lightheaded or faint, or blurred vision. The CDC also suggests having a doctor or pharmacist review all the medicines you take, and seeing an eye doctor once a year. New numbness, tingling or burning in the feet is a reason to start with a medical doctor, too.

Balance checks at our Dana Point office

Our neuropathy program includes gentle sensation and balance checks. The first visit with Dr. Scott Kirchner, D.C., includes a health history, those checks, a plain-English explanation the same day and an honest decision about whether the program is a good fit.

Quick answers

What three systems control balance?
The inner ear, the eyes, and the sensors in the feet, legs, muscles and joints. The brain combines all three.

Why can balance change with age?
NIDCD notes that the risk of balance problems rises with age. The CDC lists medicines, vision changes, weaker legs and home hazards as possible factors.

How common are falls after 65?
The CDC reports that more than one in four adults 65 and older falls each year.

What's a simple first step at home?
Walk through the house with the CDC's "Check for Safety" checklist: clear the floors, secure or remove rugs, add lighting, rails and grab bars.

Does the neuropathy program check balance?
Yes. The first visit includes gentle sensation and balance checks, plus a plain-English explanation the same day.

Steady steps start with a conversation

Our neuropathy program is open to new patients. It starts with a visit with Dr. Scott Kirchner, D.C., at our Dana Point office, after a quick call with our Patient Care Coordinator: (949) 661-9777 or monarchbaychiropractic.com/neuropathy/discovery-visit.

General information, not medical advice. Please talk with your own doctor about your situation.

Sources

1. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIH). Balance Disorders. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/balance-disorders
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts About Older Adult Falls. https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/facts-stats/index.html
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, STEADI. Check for Safety: A Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults. https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/steadi-brochure-checkforsafety-508.pdf
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, STEADI. What You Can Do to Prevent Falls. https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/steadi-brochure-whatyoucando-508.pdf
5. National Institute on Aging (NIH). Three Types of Exercise Can Improve Your Health and Physical Ability. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-and-physical-activity/three-types-exercise-can-improve-your-health-and-physical