Seniority vertigo: counter fall risks with vertigo training

From the age of 70, seniority vertigo and with it the risk of falling increases with every other year of life. The causes for this are manifold: visual and hearing disorders, degradation processes in the brain, a weakness of the musculoskeletal system and cardiovascular diseases add up and can bring one in the truest sense of the word out of balance. Since aging processes and many cases can not be completely avoided, the provision of old age precautions plays a particularly important role.

Keep moving!

In particular, regular exercise helps to balance and improve walking safety. Extensive scientific studies have shown that exercise supports almost all physical and mental functions and can partially halt aging processes. Exercise strengthens the muscles and the cardiovascular system and promotes the interaction of the organs involved in the sense of balance. Subjective dizziness and balance disorders can be improved.

Good things improved: dizziness training with biofeedback

Even more effective is vertigo and balance training in the form of a modern biofeedback process in countering seniority vertigo. This allows targeted training of the sense of balance and coordination and minimizes the risk of falling sustainably. Through an acoustic feedback via a headphone, for example, in the case of the dreamer trainer EQUIVert, the practitioner is notified of any body fluctuation and thereby learns to stabilize himself. In a customized training program, the level of difficulty is increased step by step and it shows usually after a few practice sessions significant improvements.

Autor: Dr. med. Uso Walter (ENT specialist)

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EQUIFit: Rebalance yourself

Vertigo training with biofeedback is one of the most effective methods for vertigo and dizziness complaints of all kinds to get back into balance. The position of the patient in space is measured by the devices and reflected back to the brain via a sensory channel as information. This information connects the brain with the signals from the body’s own measurement systems, and over time learns to rebalance without this information.

The devices on the market for biofeedback training differ considerably in terms of the measurement of the body position, the sense channel of the information reflected back and the practical handling of the training.

Devices that are similar to the organ of equilibrium and that measure body position in the head area and not, for example, in the upper body area are to be preferred. As a sensory channel for the reflected-back information, vision is less suitable than hearing, because the visual process itself, which is part of normal balance regulation, stabilizes it and thus makes training much less effective. Hearing, on the other hand, provides optimal spatial orientation without taking over the regulation of equilibrium and thus also allows dizziness training with closed eyes.

EQUIFit acoustic biofeedback

Based on these considerations, the vertigo trainer EQUIFit was developed, which uses a comfortable headphone to measure the deviation of the head and body and transmits it acoustically to the brain. Similar to a parking aid, acoustic signals indicate the direction and extent of the sway and allow targeted correction of posture. A structured exercise program leads you individually through the different levels of the training. Exercises while standing, walking and on different surfaces allow a gradual increase in the level of difficulty. The device detects when a level rise is safely possible and conveniently, the instructions are also given the same over the headphones, so that a tedious reading in training instructions deleted.

For the first time, EQUIFit also offers a biofeedback device for dizziness and vertigo training that can be conveniently used at home. The previous procedures were usually available only in specialized clinics and practices, which has a daily, continuous training, as required for a quick success, has made very difficult.

Author: Dr. med. Uso Walter (ENT Specialist)

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Biofeedback for vertigo and dizziness complaints

Today, we know that vertigo arises as a result of conflicting information to the brain. For example, if one of the equilibrium organs in the inner ear is less well than the other, the center of equilibrium in the brain receives differing information. Since this information contradicts itself, a subjective feeling of dizziness and vertigo often also accompanied by a fall inclination arises. You are in the truest sense of the word out of balance.

The central compensation

If the damage remains in the inner ear for a long time, the brain can get used to the conflicting information. It learns to weigh the information differently and in this way creates a new balance. The vertigo disappears gradually and occurs only in special stress situations with high demands on a healthy balance system. This learning process of the brain is called central compensation. It is based on the so-called neuroplasticity, the ability of our brain to form new neural connections and networks. In young people, this ability is more pronounced than in older people. Therefore, the vertigo symptoms improve faster the younger a patient is. Especially for people from middle age, therefore, an intensive and above all effective training is required. Thus, the vertigo symptoms can be improved as quickly as possible and the risk of falling can be reduced.

Physiotherapy and biofeedback

This learning process can be promoted with a targeted vertigo training, which gives the brain time and again information about the movement in the room. It is important to differentiate between simple exercise exercises and physiotherapy of so-called biofeedback methods, which provide the brain with additional helpful information during training and are thus much more effective. Optical, acoustic or touch stimuli show the person concerned his position in space and replace the missing information, for example, from the equilibrium organ in the inner ear via other sensory channels.

Depending on the nature of the cause of dizziness and age, a dizziness training takes different lengths. A noticeable improvement occurs, however, especially in the biofeedback process but very quickly: in scientific studies could usually be found after ten training sessions, a significant improvement in the dizziness.

Further information on exercise targeting vertigo symptoms can be found here.

Author: Dr. med. Uso Walter (ENT-specialist)

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