Fyzical Therapy & Balance Center of Shady Grove is a niche in the Physical Therapy world! We specialize in the treatment of balance and fall prevention, dizziness or vertigo, TMJ disorders and tension headaches, and progressive neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease.
What Makes Fyzical Therapy & Balance Center of Shady Grove Unique?
Our center is unique from other physical therapy practices due to our Safety-Overhead Support system, SOS. During the treatment of dizziness, imbalance or fall prevention, we harness each patient and then connect them to the over-head support. The patient is then secure and cannot fall during treatment. The harness helps the patient regain their balance by giving them confidence to complete the various treatments, which include navigating uneven surfaces and climbing stairs. Our patients love this because they know they are completely safe and will not injure themselves further during their treatment
Our Specialties:
Balance & Fall Prevention
Our goal is to prevent falls before they happen or if a patient has fallen, teach them ways to help prevent them in the future. Falling could cause loss of ability to do things on your own, like driving, going to appointments, or living alone. Factors putting a person at high risk of falling are age, >65 yr old, anyone with a cane or walker, weakness with difficulty pushing themselves up from a chair, feeling unsteady on their feet, patients who can’t feel their feet, underlying diagnoses such as Parkinson’s Disease and vertigo, and anyone with a history of falling.
Throughout the course of a balance program, you will learn how to safely recover your balance during episodes of unsteadiness. Additionally, you will learn how to maintain your balance when you are walking on uneven surfaces, such as at the beach, or down a cobblestone street. You will practice stepping over hurdles, static balance, finding your way around in the dark, and educated on home safety.
Further benefits of balance programs include:
- Improved endurance levels
- Stronger muscles
- Stronger bones
- Faster reaction times
- Improved brain function
- Increased flexibility
By enrolling in a balance program, you will regain, or prevent loss of independence with household chores, work duties and recreational activities. The sooner your balance problems are addressed, the quicker you will get back to being able to do the things you love
Dizziness
Dizziness is a broad term that is used to describe a few different sensations:
- Vertigo: characterized by a spinning or rocking sensation
- Presyncope: the technical term for feeling like you’re about to faint. Often described as lightheadedness
- Disequilibrium: feeling imbalanced or unstable
All of our therapists are specifically trained in Vestibular Therapy to treat inner ear dysfunction that causes dizziness/vertigo and increases the risk of falling. Vestibular (inner ear) dysfunction is often caused by an infection in the inner ear, a mechanical dysfunction or physical injury. Our PT team is able to identify vestibular dysfunction, and help the patient diminish their dizziness symptoms and regain their stability through progressive balance and visual exercises, head movements, and other exercises designed to help a person regain their tolerance for motion, stability and quality of life.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD)
TMJ disorders are caused by many things. It may be following an event of trauma to the face, such as falling on your chin or being hit in the jaw. Or it can result from frequent “micro-trauma”. This type of trauma can occur from overusing the joint, and is mostly seen in people who clench, or grind their teeth at night. Additionally, people often experience pain following extensive dental work due to the jaw being stretched open for too long.
All of our physical therapists are trained in treating TMD. People with temporomandibular joint dysfunction, TMD, often experience other symptoms such as:
- tension headaches
- ear symptoms such as pain, pressure and ringing in ears
- jaw pain while eating, talking, yawning, etc.
- neck, upper back and shoulder dysfunction related to abnormal posture and ergonomics or previous injury
Our therapists use manual therapy techniques, joint mobilization, strengthening, neuromuscular re-education and postural correction to help patients return to normal function, live without pain and manage their symptoms independently over their lifetime.
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is caused by a reduction of a hormone called dopamine in the brain. It causes movements to become smaller and slower than normal. It also affects the way you walk, your balance, coordination and posture. These changes can diminish your confidence, reduce your quality of life, and impair your safety with common tasks and increase your risk of falling.
We have 4 LSVT BIG Certified Clinicians at Fyzical of Shady Grove. LSVT BIG is a specialized treatment protocol consisting of 16 individual 1-hour sessions. The treatment program is carried out 4 consecutive days a week for 4 weeks. The program consists of special exercises to treat PD symptoms, training in functional skills meaningful to you, and daily home work to boost your treatment progress.