Bad Balance

It’s not cute or funny to the CAT!

The phone is ringing and ringing… way over there on the table. You crash and wobble across the room, and it stops just as soon as you get there. You slump onto a chair, exhausted. All that work for nothing!

The day you were diagnosed felt like the end of your life. You try to compensate or ignore it, but you can’t.

The increasing pain…

The sleepless nights…

The dread of walking in public…

What if the unthinkable happens?

What if you fell in the grocery store? There’s no way you could get back up without a big commotion! The embarrassment would kill you.

But you despise that walker. It makes you feel like a frail child – a defective person – like someone who isn’t worth anything to anyone anymore.

So, now, you sit a lot more.

And your butt hurts.

And your knees hurt. (But you minimize it: “Yeah, I played ball back in the day.”)

And your elbow hurts. No, it burns! (“Why the heck does my elbow hurt like that?”)

The house smells because, well, let’s just say you haven’t “vacuumed” in a while. So humiliating! But getting up to clean or walk is terrifying – and damn frustrating. So, you try to keep people from coming over to visit.

Bad news first… then good news.

Myofascial Release does not cure active progressive diseases like Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis. Nor does it reverse the physical damage to brain tissue caused by a stroke or brain injury.

The brain is famous for its ability to compensate for damaged areas, but new nerve connections usually don’t work quite as well as the originals. That is because survival is a higher priority than the quality of life – “something is better than nothing.”

Here’s the good news: Much of your pain and immobility over time comes from the myofascial restrictions that develop as your body response to the primary disease or injury.

Now, that is something we CAN work on!

Here’s what we’ll do…

We’ll treat the restrictions physically limiting your balance and mobility.

We’ll develop new ways to perform functional tasks (e.g., sitting, climbing stairs, entering and exiting your vehicle, positioning yourself for sleep, or performing your favorite sport or hobby) safely and confidently.

And for your future, we will fine-tune a customized “Daily Home Program” to combat new restrictions that might arise from your medical condition.

Muscle pain and weakness…

When your muscles stay “on” or “off” for long periods (aka “abnormal tone”), they first become painful from lack of blood flow and oxygen. Then, they gradually become shorter, more rigid, and weak as the muscles, tendons, and joints become restricted. It becomes more painful and difficult when you try to move out of those tight, restricted positions.

As we release some of those restrictions, your muscles get stronger because they regain the ability to change the length and generate the motion and power you need. Then, you can move more freely and rest more deeply – with much less pain and a greater sense of physical stability.

Conductivity and circulation…

Like pinching a garden hose to slow the water flow, a myofascial restriction can compress a tiny, fragile nerve or blood vessel. It’s like a 1000-pound horse standing on your garden hose. Ouch!

As we release restrictions that interfere with your nerves and blood vessels, they start to work better. Your brain “talks” more clearly to your muscles, and your circulation delivers more oxygen to all your vital organs and muscles. That means increased balance and endurance when you get up and move.

The vicious cycle…

Despite balance and coordination problems, your brain will try to keep you going, compensating with altered movement and posture. This creates abnormal wear and tear in your body: friction injuries, pressure injuries, traumatic injuries, pain and inflammation, and myofascial restrictions. All this causes more compensation, more risk, new medical problems, and additional restrictions. It’s a vicious cycle that worsens over time.

Treating the myofascial restrictions interrupts that cycle. Adjusting movement strategies, upgrading adaptive equipment, and improving symptom management are all areas we can address together. A customized, comprehensive approach will give you the best opportunity to limit or prevent that vicious cycle and increase your mobility and independence.