Balance has been shown to improve symptoms in many conditions ranging from ankle sprains, chronic neck pain and to even fibromyalgia syndrome, but why?
Perhaps it is because the greatest stressor for the nervous system is uncertainty, a lack of control or the inability to predict what comes next. If we can improve someone’s balance, we may also improve their certainty by reducing their uncertainties about controlling their body in space with the fear of potentially losing balance and falling down. If we can improve balance and proprioception, we can decrease their conscious and subconscious stress of this uncertainty and therefore potentially improve the health of several systems in the body including the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system, the cardio-vascular system and perhaps even the GI system.
“Just because one can walk and not fall down does not necessarily mean that one has good balance.” – Bahram Jam
Don’t be deceived and make assumptions that just because someone is not “old”, active and perhaps involved in sports has optimal balance, as they may not.
I suggest evaluating balance using any of these 3 basic balance tests for 10 seconds, with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC)
- Romberg test (EO/EC)
- Sharpened Romberg (EO/EC)
- Single Leg Balance (EO/EC)
I will discuss balance training in a future issue of the APTEI Report.