Dr. Michele Kehrer PT, DPT, ATC In The News Again!
Posted on 15. Apr, 2010 by admin in In the News, Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
Michele was interviewed by the popular women’s online health resource, EmpowHER, about dizziness and balance disorders and the treatments available for these disorders.
“The treatment offered at my center is especially important now due to the increased number of Americans living longer,” said Dr. Kehrer. “Sixty-five percent of individuals over the age of 60 experience dizziness or loss of balance, the result of generalized functional degradation.”
The treatment offered at LifeStyle’s office is vestibular rehabilitation, which includes the use of high-tech equipment and easy-to-follow exercises. Although medication is often as the main source to treat dizziness, LifeStyle tries to lessen the use of medication to treat dizziness because “…this medication increases risk of falling and can be addictive. It also suppresses vestibular function, essentially worsening the problem that it is prescribed to treat. The medication is fine when prescribed correctly and utilized in conjunction with physical therapy.”
To learn more and to read this fabulous article:
http://bit.ly/98OLAl
(I shortened the URL to the above)
Spring 2010 Vestibular Support Group
Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth, Vestibular Support Group
Join us on Saturday, April 17th for our Vestibular Support Group, located at our office at 3130 N Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, IL (60657). Refreshments will be served at 11:30am and the meeting will begin at 12pm and will last for approximately one hour.
We would love all of those affected by vestibular disorders to join us! Friends and family, as well as other support systems, are welcome.
To RSVP, please call: 773-525-5200.
If You Are Dizzy…
Posted on 16. Feb, 2010 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
…Keep moving!
It will be very difficult for dizzy patients to hear that they should keep doing their daily activities when their symptoms flare up. Their first instinct is to become inactive and take rest days. What will help your vestibular system is to rest until your symptoms settle down and then go back to your normal activities.
When you become active, you are training your brain to get used to different incoming signals. This in conjunction with daily vestibular exercises will help with rehabilitation of your vestibular system.
Tai Chi and Balance Disorders
Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
A recent study conducted in 2008-2009 showed that the martial art practice Tai Chi is an effective treatment for people with vestibular disorders.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is an practice incorporating slow movements of the body into different postures using your own body’s coordination. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Tai Chi is helpful for those with balance disorders because it helps people concentrate on their own coordination.
The Inner Ear and Balance in 90 Seconds
Posted on 04. Jan, 2010 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
Technology never ceases to amaze me. The amount of information we all have at our fingertips is astounding.
Learn more about your inner ear and how it affects your balance in this quick, 90 second video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbKU0AbbARg
Enjoy!
Waking up Dizzy?
Posted on 20. Dec, 2009 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
Our new patients in their evaluation often tell us that the initial way that they realized that they had a vestibular disorder was that they turned over in bed and felt a wave of dizziness come over them. This is a key indicator that our patient may have BPPV. BPPV is treatable through physical therapy and through maneuvers like the Epley Maneuver.
Check out the other signs of BPPV:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vertigo/DS00534/DSECTION=symptoms
Do you have a Balance Disorder? Take this Self-Test
Posted on 13. Dec, 2009 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
Are you concerned that you may have a balance disorder? Take this self-test to determine whether you should go see an ENT or neurologist about a potential balance/neurological disorder.
http://resourcesonbalance.com/patient_info/printout.aspx
If you answer “yes” to one or more of the questions, you could be at risk. Make sure you consult with your physician or an ENT/neurologist.
Testing and Evaluating Your Dizziness
Posted on 03. Dec, 2009 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
Every therapist who tests people for balance disorders and dizziness will use similar tests. Here are four examples of the tests that are used, which may include additional explanation if there’s an abundance of scientific terms. Explanations/definitions are in italics and I have edited the copy for better reading comprehension.
Oculomotor examination
Assess for an internuclear ophthalmoplegia [eye weakness] and gaze-dependent nystagmus [involuntary movement in the eye that indicates neurological abnormality]. Nystagmus of peripheral [inner ear] origin typically is unidirectional. Nystagmus of brainstem or cerebellar (ie. central) origin may be bidirectional and have more than one direction. Pure vertical nystagmus almost always is a sign of brainstem disease and not a labyrinthine [inner ear] disorder.
Station (Romberg)
The…Romberg test is having the patient stand heel to toe with 1 foot in front of the other; this test is required to detect abnormalities in younger patients.
Fukuda test (stepping test of Unterberger)
The patient is asked to step in place for 20-30 seconds. Rotation of the patient may indicate a unilateral loss of vestibular tone.
Dix-Hallpike maneuver
The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is one of the most important tests for patients who experience true vertigo. This test involves having the patient lie back suddenly with the head turned to one side. The test results are considered abnormal if the patient reports vertigo and exhibits a characteristic torsional (ie. rotary) nystagmus that starts a few seconds after the patient lies back (latency), lasts 40-60 seconds, reverses when the patient sits up, and fatigues with repetition.
For more information and more tests:
Vestibular Support Group: Success!
Posted on 17. Nov, 2009 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
This past Saturday we held our 4th Vestibular Support Group and what a success it was! Dr. Julia Rahn came and spoke about the psychological challenges of living with a vestibular disorder/chronic illness. Although we had a smaller group than usual, the group was fantastic. While the support group does provide a group speaker, it is a very laid back atmosphere and everyone was free to share their story, their concerns and daily challenges. Although initially we had some timid members, after hearing others share their vestibular story, everyone opened up and even stayed after to swap phone numbers and email addresses.
We hope that you will consider joining us for the next vestibular support group. For more info: info@balancechicago.com
During Therapy: Why You May STILL Feel Dizzy!
Posted on 12. Nov, 2009 by balancechicago in Vestibular Disorders - In Depth
There is a good chance that during vestibular rehabilitation therapy you may still feel dizzy. The vestibular system tells your brain where your head is in space (up, down, left…). When the vestibular system is weakened, in an accident or after being sick, the vestibular system has a hard time figuring out where your head is located in space, causing you to be off balance.
During vestibular rehabiliation therapy, you are doing exercises that are intentionally making you dizzy. Exercises that include moving the head left to right while focusing on a steady object is one example. By focusing on a still object while moving your head left to right, you are re-training the brain to coordinate the information between the senses and the vestibular system so that signals are sent correctly to the brain.
Your exercises will get increasingly hard as you progress through your therapy and your symptoms may flare up because your brain will not be used to the increase in difficulty (ie. new visual cues). Do not despair, this happens to some of our patients!
How do you combat this dizziness: Do your exercises at home that your physical therapist provides you with. It will really help you with your dizziness!