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Balance Training Exercises
Ear-Eye Coordination Exercises

 

Your doctor has determined that you have a balance problem that may improve with a rehabilitation program. Head motion stimulates the balance canals of the inner ear. Like a figure skater just learning to spin on skates, you can expect it to take some time for your balance to improve. The brain must learn to overcome the feeling of dizziness. Virtually all patients using these exercises will not improved balance, but it may take a few weeks. Don't give up! It is important to start slowly because quick head movements can make anyone lightheaded at first. Slowly increase the speed and duration of exercises as tolerated. It is common for people to become dizzy during some of these exercises; this is a required part of the healing process. As in athletics: no pain, no gain.

Exercises

1. Begin in a sitting position. Choose an object on the wall, such as a clock or picture. Keep your eyes focused on the object from about 5 feet away. Turn your head to the right and left about 30 degrees, thus making the head motion like saying "no". Move the head like a grandfather clock pendulum or metronome. You should be turning right to left and then left to right about one time per second. Repeat this head turning 20 times per session.

2. Focus again on an object on the wall. This time move your head up and down, thus making the head motion like nodding "yes". Again perform one nod per second, and repeat 20 times.