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Importance of Checking Balance

Balance involves several systems of both the brain and the body.

The eyes, inner ear, sensors in the joints and muscles, and certain areas of the brain integrate for balance. One of those areas, called the cerebellum, lives in the back of your brain. The cerebellum receives input from each of those systems in order to create a complete story for your brain of where your body is in space and how to coordinate movement and muscle tone in order to stay upright. By checking balance in different ways (for example, with eyes opened or closed or in different positions) we can tell how each system is functioning. If a loss of balance is found, we can localize a side of the cerebellum or brain or a system that may not be working well.

As chiropractors, our adjustment focuses on activating and “re-setting” the sensors in the joints and muscles and improving communication between the body and the brain, both of which can aid in improving balance. We can also utilize exercises to stimulate different systems and sides of the brain in order to restore the ability to balance. So if we’ve ever given you “figure 8” exercises, now you know why!