If you often find it hard to determine where your body is relative to other objects or the ground, and you frequently have uncoordinated and wobbly motion, you may have a balance problem, such as balance loss.
Balance loss is a condition in which you are unable to stay upright and move confidently. In many people, balance loss is dismissed as a normal part of aging. However, a severe and dramatic loss of balance along with numbness, tingling, and loss of sensations can result from medical conditions, such as peripheral neuropathy. In peripheral neuropathy, the damaged motor nerves cause loss of coordination or balance since they fail to transmit signals between the head and feet and tell the position of the feet.
Let’s talk about balance loss, how your doctor will diagnose it, and where you can go in Jacksonville for world-class treatment.
Diagnosis of Balance Loss
Firstly, your doctor will review your medical history and assess your symptoms to make a diagnosis. Then, they will determine the cause of your balance loss by performing various tests, including:
Imaging Test
Diagnostic imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) scans, are recommended to determine an underlying medical condition that might be causing your balance problem. These tests look for pinched or compressed nerves along with other abnormalities that might be contributing to balance loss.
Blood Tests
These tests determine abnormal immune function, diabetes, and vitamin deficiency and indicate other conditions that can cause peripheral neuropathy related loss of balance or coordination.
Tests to Determine Nerve Function
Various nerve tests help doctors diagnose the loss of balance. Common tests include:
Electromyography (EMG)
Electromyography (EMG) helps your doctor know whether muscle or nerve problem, such as loss of connection between the nerves and muscles, is the cause of your balance loss. It detects abnormal muscular electrical activity in motor neuropathy.
During the test, very fine needles (electrodes) are inserted into your specific muscles through the skin, and the electrical activity of the muscle is recorded at rest and during contraction (during movements).
Nerve Conduction Test
Your doctor may also perform a nerve conduction study to determine if the nerve problem, such as damaged peripheral motor nerve (peripheral neuropathy), is the cause of your balance loss. Nerve conduction measures the size of the response of the nerve to an electric signal and how quickly the nerve carries these signals.
For nerve conduction study, your doctor will place small flat patches, called electrodes, on the skin over the muscles and nerves of the arm or legs. A low voltage electric current is applied to the patch over the nerve. Your doctor will record the response of your nerves to the low voltage electric current.
In addition to motor nerves, NCS can be used to study the sensory nerves.
Balance Loss Treatment Near Me in Jacksonville
If you think you suffer from balance loss and want to receive a diagnosis and treatment, look no further than NIV Health. Our healthcare providers at NIVA health are highly skilled and experienced professionals who will assess all your symptoms, conduct tests, and offer a diagnosis. They also treat peripheral neuropathy, which might be the cause of your balance loss.
Make an appointment with one of our highly experienced physicians to learn more about balance loss due to peripheral neuropathy and get treatment. Call our office near you today or use our easy-to-use appointment request form to arrange a consultation. You can also avail our services at one of our convenient locations: in Jacksonville, FL; Melbourne, FL; St. Augustine, FL; Manalapan, NJ; Novi, MI; or Naperville, IL!
