Feeling like the room is spinning, you’re unsteady or lightheaded can all be signs of dizziness or balance problems. It’s something you’ll want to take care of sooner than later.
Jess Meuzelaar started coming to the Avera Brain and Spine Institute Balance and Dizziness Clinic after feeling dizzy doing daily tasks.
“When grocery shopping, when I was a passenger in the car, in large crowds, trying to do things out in public, I was getting dizzy and having motion sickness a lot and so my doctor thought it would be a good idea to start here and be evaluated and see what they could help me with,” said Meuzelaar.
What is Offered at the Balance and Dizziness Clinic?
The clinic has a computerized dynamic posturography system that adds virtual reality components into balance training exercises. Previously, the clinic had a system that was only a monitor with a two-dimensional screen.
“The newer system is more computer based. The patients stand in the system and they have a big egg shaped dome that they are facing that surrounds them on all sides and in the front and then the picture is actually projected by cameras. We can make that picture a solid picture, the picture can move and be complicated or less complicated, so it gives us a better test of how people react to movement in their environment,” said physical therapist with the Avera Balance and Dizziness Clinic, Kristi Hupp.
Simulations Offer Real Life Experiences
There are also different modules that put the patients in a more lifelike situation. For example shopping in a grocery store, driving a car, or walking down a sidewalk.
“We can have them have to lean side to side and dodge targets, we can add in tasks such as having them scan and move their head side to side looking for things on the shelves,” said Hupp.
“They simulate that on the machine and they have you do exercises to kind of retrain your brain and make it less sensitive to your surroundings,” said Meuzelaar.
The balance board the patient stands on can even move or shift, adding another component to the balance exercises. Plus a math problem or two might show up on the screen to help improve cognitive multitasking.
Patients Seeing Success After Sessions
“It has helped a lot actually, and it is one of those things where you have to practice a lot of the things in real time, but it has helped big time, especially when traveling or doing daily chores,” said Meuzelaar.
The equipment also allows Hupp to evaluate patients in a wider age range, as well as identify norms for each age group.
“It actually gives us data that that’s normal or that’s not normal,” said Hupp.
This new system is making positive impacts in patients’ lives, including Meuzelaar.
“I know other people struggle with that kind of stuff, feeling dizzy or out of place grocery shopping or motion sickness while traveling, so I do recommend it to people all the time,” said Meuzelaar.
Huff says patients are also given physical therapy exercises at home to do after sessions. Additionally, they can use the new system to help patients who have inner ear problems, concussions, migraines, neuropathy, and general balance disorders.
Learn more about the Avera Brain and Spine Institute Balance and Dizziness Clinic.
