Balance Testing in Macomb, MI
Balance is something most of us take for granted—until we begin to lose confidence in it. Maybe you’ve noticed yourself reaching for a railing more often, feeling unsteady when you walk, or catching yourself after a stumble that could easily have become a fall.
Dr. Bence believes you shouldn’t have to wait for a fall to find out there’s a problem.
At Bence Chiropractic Wellness Center in Macomb, Dr. Bence uses the ProBalance 360 computerized balance-testing system to objectively measure stability and identify balance deficits that might otherwise be difficult to recognize. The evaluation takes about 15 to 20 minutes and provides a stability index that can be used as a baseline for developing a personalized plan and measuring progress over time.
“Most people don’t think about their balance until something happens. I’d rather identify a problem before someone falls, when we have an opportunity to do something about it.” — Dr. Pavel Bence, DC, CCWP
Balance problems can affect people for many different reasons and at different stages of life. Whether you’ve experienced dizziness or unsteadiness, are recovering from an injury, are concerned about fall risk, or simply want to know where your balance stands, objective testing can provide valuable information about how well your body is maintaining stability.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know If I Need a Balance Evaluation?
If you’ve noticed frequent stumbling, dizziness, difficulty walking, unexplained falls or near-falls, or simply don’t feel as steady as you once did, a balance evaluation may be worthwhile. Changes can happen gradually, making them easy to overlook until they begin affecting your mobility or confidence.
What Happens During a ProBalance 360 Evaluation?
You stand on a computerized platform that measures your body’s natural sway and produces an objective stability index. The evaluation takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Dr. Bence can use the results along with your health history and examination findings to better understand your stability, establish a baseline, and determine what should happen next.
Can Balance Testing Help Identify Fall Risk?
Balance testing can identify deficits in stability that may contribute to fall risk. The advantage of computerized testing is that it can reveal and measure changes that may not be obvious from observation alone. Those results can then be used to develop an appropriate plan and track progress.
Can Neck Problems Contribute to Dizziness or Poor Balance?
They can. The joints and muscles of the neck provide the brain with information about head and body position. Problems involving the cervical spine can sometimes contribute to dizziness or unsteadiness. However, balance problems can have many causes, including inner ear disorders, vision changes, medications, neurological conditions, and other health concerns. Dr. Bence considers the complete picture rather than assuming every balance problem originates in the spine.
Can Chiropractic Care Help With Balance Problems?
For some patients, chiropractic care may be appropriate when joint dysfunction, reduced mobility, posture, or spinal function is contributing to the problem. Other patients may benefit from balance exercises or additional care, and some symptoms warrant evaluation by another healthcare provider. Dr. Bence uses the examination and testing findings to determine the appropriate recommendation for each patient.
Why Is Balance So Important?
Good balance requires several systems in your body to work together continuously.
Your eyes provide information about your surroundings. Your inner ear helps detect movement and changes in position. Muscles and joints provide sensory information about where your body is in space. Your nervous system receives and processes those signals so your body can make the small, automatic adjustments necessary to keep you upright and moving confidently.
When part of that system isn’t working as well as it should, you may begin to notice subtle changes.
You might feel less steady when getting out of a chair. You may drift slightly when walking. Turning your head may make you feel disoriented. Uneven ground may suddenly seem more challenging. Or you may find yourself reaching for furniture, walls, or railings without even realizing you’re doing it.
Those changes are worth paying attention to.
“Balance isn’t one single thing happening in the body. It depends on several systems communicating with each other. When someone tells me they don’t feel as steady as they used to, I want to understand why.” — Dr. Pavel Bence, DC, CCWP
Signs Your Balance May Be Changing
Balance problems aren’t always dramatic. In fact, some of the most important warning signs can be surprisingly easy to dismiss.
Consider having your balance evaluated if you’ve noticed:
- Frequent stumbling or feeling unsteady on your feet
- Dizziness when standing, turning, or moving your head
- Drifting to one side while walking
- A fall or near-fall within the past year
- Less confidence walking or moving around
- Increasing reliance on walls, furniture, or railings for support
Experiencing one of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily tell you what is causing it. That’s precisely why evaluation and objective testing can be valuable.
What Can Cause Balance Problems?
There isn’t one single cause of poor balance. Stability depends on information coming from several areas of the body, and changes in any of them can affect how steady you feel.
Inner Ear Disorders
The vestibular system within the inner ear plays an important role in detecting movement and helping maintain equilibrium. Problems affecting this system can cause dizziness, vertigo, or unsteadiness.
Neck and Spinal Function
The muscles and joints of the cervical spine provide sensory information that helps your brain understand the position and movement of your head. When normal function is disrupted, that information can sometimes contribute to feelings of dizziness or imbalance.
Vision Changes
Your eyes provide important visual reference points that help your brain determine where your body is in relation to its surroundings. Changes in vision can therefore affect stability.
Muscle Weakness and Changes in Mobility
Strength and movement also matter. When muscles become weaker or joints lose mobility, your body may have greater difficulty making the rapid adjustments necessary to maintain balance.
Medications and Health Conditions
Certain medications can cause dizziness or unsteadiness. Diabetes and other conditions affecting nerve function can interfere with sensory feedback, while neurological conditions can affect coordination and stability.
Because there are so many possible contributors, Dr. Bence doesn’t believe balance problems should automatically be attributed to age—or automatically assumed to be a chiropractic problem.
The first step is understanding what’s happening.
What Is ProBalance 360?
ProBalance 360 gives Dr. Bence an objective way to evaluate stability rather than relying solely on what can be seen during a traditional examination.
During the approximately 15- to 20-minute evaluation, you stand on a computerized platform that measures your body’s natural sway. The system generates a stability index—an objective measurement that provides a clearer picture of your balance at that point in time.
That information is valuable for two reasons.
First, it establishes a baseline. Instead of simply saying that your balance “looks good” or “seems a little off,” Dr. Bence has measurable information to consider alongside your examination.
Second, it gives him something objective to compare against later. If treatment or balance training is recommended, repeat testing can help determine whether your stability is actually changing.
“The advantage of computerized balance testing is that it gives us something we can measure. We can establish where you are today, develop a plan around what we find, and then objectively evaluate your progress.” — Dr. Pavel Bence, DC, CCWP
Dr. Bence’s Approach to Improving Balance
A balance score is useful, but it’s only part of the picture.
Dr. Bence considers your ProBalance 360 results together with your symptoms, health history, medications, recent falls or injuries, and physical examination findings. He may also evaluate posture, movement, coordination, strength, reflexes, and other factors that can influence stability.
The purpose is not simply to identify that a balance problem exists. It’s to determine what can be done about it.
A Personalized Plan
When testing identifies areas that need improvement, Dr. Bence develops recommendations around your individual findings rather than giving every patient the same generic program.
Depending on what he finds, your plan may incorporate balance and coordination exercises, chiropractic care when spinal or joint function is contributing to the problem, and other appropriate therapies.
If your symptoms suggest a problem outside the scope of chiropractic care, Dr. Bence will recommend additional medical evaluation when appropriate.
Measuring Progress
One of the advantages of establishing an objective baseline is the ability to test again.
ProBalance 360 allows Dr. Bence to compare results over time and determine whether measurable improvement is occurring. Instead of relying entirely on how steady you feel or how your balance appears, your progress can be evaluated against the stability index established during your initial test.
Balance Testing Isn’t Just for Seniors
Falls and loss of independence make balance especially important as we get older, but balance testing can provide useful information for people of many ages.
Athletes depend on balance and coordination for performance. Someone recovering from an injury may want to know whether stability has returned. A person who has experienced dizziness following an auto accident may notice changes in confidence or movement. And someone without obvious symptoms may simply want an objective baseline.
You don’t have to wait until balance becomes a serious problem to measure it.
That preventive perspective is an important part of Dr. Bence’s approach: recognize changes early, understand what is contributing to them, and address what can be addressed before a stumble becomes something more serious.
What Dr. Bence Wants You to Remember
Feeling less steady than you once did isn’t something you should simply dismiss.
Sometimes the first indication of declining balance is subtle—a little hesitation on the stairs, an occasional stumble, or reaching for something to steady yourself. Those small changes can be your body’s way of telling you that something deserves a closer look.
Computerized balance testing gives Dr. Bence a way to turn those subjective concerns into objective information. In about 15 to 20 minutes, ProBalance 360 can establish a stability baseline that helps him better understand where you are today and determine whether there are opportunities to improve your balance, confidence, and movement.
“I don’t want the first real measurement of someone’s balance to come after they’ve fallen. If we can identify a problem earlier, we have an opportunity to help them stay active, confident, and independent.” — Dr. Pavel Bence, DC, CCWP
If you’re concerned about dizziness, unsteadiness, fall risk, or simply want to know where your balance stands, contact Bence Chiropractic Wellness Center in Macomb to schedule a ProBalance 360 evaluation.
We welcome patients from Macomb, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, Clinton Township, Utica, and surrounding communities.
Walk-in appointments are always welcome.
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