As people age, the risk of experiencing a dangerous fall increases significantly. This reality, though sobering, can be mitigated through proper intervention and care. While many may not realize it, vision plays a crucial role in maintaining balance and preventing falls. Dr. Rick Graebe, a behavioral optometrist based in Versailles, Kentucky, emphasizes that vision therapy can be a powerful tool in reducing fall risk in older adults.
Understanding the Systems of Balance
Balance relies on three key systems in the body: the vestibular system, proprioception, and vision.
- The Vestibular System: This system is located in the inner ear and is responsible for helping you sense movement and maintain balance. Unfortunately, with age, the vestibular system naturally weakens. While children can tolerate a lot of vestibular stimulation, such as spinning or somersaults, adults often feel dizzy after even minimal vestibular activity.
- Proprioception: This is the body’s ability to sense its position in space. However, aging or a sedentary lifestyle can diminish proprioceptive awareness and core strength, making it harder for older adults to regain balance if they start to tip.
- Vision: The visual system, specifically the magnocellular aspect of vision, helps individuals understand where they are in relation to their surroundings. This aspect of vision tells you where objects are in space and helps you avoid tripping or falling. As people age, stress, aches, and pains can lead to a focus on parvocellular (detailed, close-up) vision at the expense of magnocellular vision, increasing the likelihood of falls.
The Role of Vision Therapy in Fall Prevention
As the vestibular and proprioceptive systems naturally decline with age, vision therapy becomes an essential strategy for preventing falls. According to Dr. Graebe, vision therapy helps individuals enhance their spatial awareness, giving them a more accurate understanding of where they are in relation to their surroundings.
Vision therapy involves exercises and treatments that help improve peripheral awareness and depth perception. One method includes the use of prism glasses, which allow patients to create a more precise map of their surroundings. These techniques help individuals avoid trip hazards, maintain their footing, and even improve their driving abilities by heightening spatial awareness.
A Testimonial of Success
One of Dr. Graebe’s patients, a 75-year-old woman from Frankfort, Kentucky, had been struggling with frequent falls and balance issues. She believed, as many do, that these issues were simply an inevitable part of aging. After starting vision therapy at Neuro-Visual Performance Institute, she noticed a significant improvement in her ability to navigate obstacles and maintain her balance. Her increased peripheral awareness helped her avoid trip hazards, giving her the confidence to move around without fear of falling.
This success story demonstrates that with the right approach, even those who have experienced years of difficulty with balance and vision can see improvement and enjoy a better quality of life.
You Can Improve Your Balance
While aging brings challenges to balance and movement, it’s important to remember that there are solutions available. Vision therapy offers a practical and effective way to enhance balance and prevent falls in older adults. At the Neuro-Visual Performance Institute, Dr. Rick Graebe and his team are dedicated to helping patients of all ages improve their vision and spatial awareness.
Don’t wait for a fall to take action. If you or a loved one are concerned about balance or frequent falls, vision therapy may be the solution. With two locations in Versailles, serving the greater Lexington area, and Somerset, the Neuro-Visual Performance Institute is here to help you improve your balance and quality of life.
To schedule an appointment, call us today at 859-879-0089. Our team is ready to assist patients from Lexington, Frankfort, and surrounding areas in Central and Southern Kentucky.
Credit:
This blog is based on information from Dr. Rick Graebe as compiled and written by John Lynch.