Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex And Balance Exercises

Visual And Balance Exercises For Better Stability

By Suzanne Stoke, Physical Therapist @ Exercise For Balance via www.exerciseforbalance.com

        Finding the right combination of eye and balance exercises  can help  you enhance stability for simple every day tasks. Please see http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now Without knowing it, every day we use a complex system called the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex during our movement activities. The Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR) enables us to keep an image steady on our eye retinas while the head is moving. For example, when some object is moving towards one side, the eyes must also move along with it to keep it in focus, this stable gaze and visual focus (to stabilize the image of the surroundings in the retina) during active and passive head movement is maintained by Vestibulo-Ocular reflex. This intricate reflex is needed for activities like driving, looking at a house while you walk through the neighborhood, picking out a box of cereal or drink while you cruise the isle of a grocery store and much more. The Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex is complex since the eyes must maintain a steady gaze while your head turns at a different speed in a different direction. Having a fully functioning Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex is essential to maintain balance during movement activities. When one side vestibular labyrinth is damaged this system does not work. Consequently, the  person will not be able to keep the image of the moving object in the visual focus (on retina) and this retinal slips cause vertigo. Eye movements are controlled by extra ocular muscle activity, under the control of an image stabilization. Adaptation exercises are basically retraining of the extra ocular muscles to stabilize the gaze while focusing on a stationary object and follow a moving object by moving head. You can practice a beginner's Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex exercise by sitting and following these directions:

This exercise helps in stabilizing the gaze with quick, short head movements.

 

• Sit in a comfortable chair and hold a card with a 1 inch letter written on it at arms length in front of you.

• While keeping eyes focused on the letter move your head from side to side approx. 30 degrees.   .

• Increase speed of head movement with each progression.

• As function improves, move the card opposite to the head movement while keeping the eyes focused on the letters.

• Move the head to the left and the card to the right keeping the eyes focused on the letters.

• Begins slowly and increase the speed as the test progresses. Progress from sitting to standing to a sharpened stance.

  

Balance Exercises In Combination With Eye Exercises

     You can maximize the effectiveness of your eye exercises by combining them with specific balance exercises. The best way to combine visual training with equilibrium routines is to progress from performing your eye exercises in sitting  to doing them in a standing position. Next, make your steadiness routine more challenging by standing with one foot directly in front of the other in a tandem position. In this position, you will greatly challenge the balance reactions at your feet and ankles while you rehearse the eye exercises. Additionally, you can further advance your program by performing your visual routine while walking. This dynamic component of balance will enhance both your balance abilities and visual acuity. You can learn these techniques and balance exercises by following the lead of an experienced Physical Therapist in the Exercise For Balance DVD.

Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    To learn how to combine the best balance exercises with visual exercises, get the Exercise For Balance DVD. The professionally filmed Balance DVD is an excellent educational medium to use at home or in a group setting. The step by step DVD is loaded with the best balance and strength exercises needed to enhance general fitness and to perform basic activities like grocery shopping,  walking, standing, stair climbing or to advance to high level activities like playing tennis, dancing and hiking. In the Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve balance, stability techniques and balance routines from a balance trainer (licensed Physical Therapist) who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 20 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

Maximize your stability by starting balance exercises today with the Exercise For Balance DVD to improve balance and prevent falls.
For more information see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/