If you experience dizziness, vertigo, or chronic balance problems, the Balance Center at WMCHealth can help. Our board-certified neurotologists, audiologists, and physical therapists provide complete diagnostic testing and advanced care for balance issues caused by vertigo, vestibular Schwannoma, stroke, and more. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology and our renowned medical expertise, we can help bring you back to center.
When Is the Balance Center Needed?
Your sense of balance depends on two systems in the body working together properly: the sensory system which includes your joints, muscles, vision, and inner ear; and the central nervous system, controlled by your brain.
When something is wrong with one of those systems, it can lead to feelings of imbalance or dizziness. For most people, the issue stems from the vestibular system, the inner ear, sometimes called the “balance organs.” At the WMCHealth Balance Center, we offer a comprehensive evaluation of your balance system to determine the underlying cause of your symptoms. Our team then develops an individualized treatment plan, which may include vestibular therapy and medication. Rarely, surgery is needed.
Symptoms of a Balance Issue
- Sense of motion or spinning (vertigo)
- Feeling of faintness or lightheadedness (presyncope)
- Loss of balance or unsteadiness
- Falling or feeling like you might fall
- Feeling a floating sensation or dizziness
- Vision changes, such as blurriness
- Confusion
Causes of Balance Problems
There are many possible causes for these types of symptoms, including:
- Stroke
- Labyrinthitis
- Manière’s disease
- Vestibular neuritis
- Migrainous dizziness
- Vestibular Schwannoma
- Motor or visual disturbances
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
- Aging of balance system vertigo of central brain origin
Services Offered by the Balance Center
Balance testing is a painless, non-invasive protocol that helps doctors create a treatment plan tailored to the needs of the specific patient and condition. We have access to advanced treatments and technologies to diagnose and treat balance problems, including:
Computerized Dynamic Virtual Posturography
This test involves standing on a platform that measures how well you can maintain your balance. The platform and walls move back and forth slightly during the test. This advanced virtual reality system can both assess and treat imbalance.
Rotational Vestibular Testing (RVT)
During this procedure, the patient sits in the dark for several minutes and talks to an audiologist while the chair slowly swivels from side to side at different speeds. Video goggles are worn to record eye movements driven by the inner ear when the head moves from side to side.
Videonystagmography
This special test helps determine the cause of eye movement that you can’t control. It requires you to wear video goggles over your face or surface electrodes around your eyes. You’ll then be asked to follow moving lights while your eye movements are recorded. Then, a mild stream of warm and cool air passes through the ear canal while the patient lies down.
Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP)
VEMP is used to diagnose superior canal dehiscence and inferior vestibular nerve disorders. During this procedure, the patient wears earphones and electrodes are attached to the forehead and neck. The patient is asked to lift and turn their head as they listen to a series of clicks.
Vestibular and Balance Therapy
Our program also includes the option of working one-on-one with a balance therapist in an exercise program. This course of treatment is designed to lessen the severity of dizziness, vertigo, and balance problems and to decrease the risk of falls or injuries.
Why Choose WMCHealth for Balance Issues?
With our state-of-the-art technology and experienced balance experts, we make sure your team can accurately address your concerns and create a personalized treatment plan for you. We understand that undergoing tests can cause anxiety, so we’re dedicated to giving you a clear understanding of what each test is for and how it will be performed.
We have brought together some of the best minds in audiology, physical therapy, and neurotology to provide unparalleled care close to home. Our fellowship-trained physicians are highly respected in their fields and will work together to give you the best opportunity for a balanced life.