Blog
Assistive Devices To Stop Falls
Assistive Devices to Stop Falls My grandfather, Bill, is an important figure in my life. He is an electrical engineer who had a very successful career, but he didn’t know anything about fall prevention when he retired. In my observation, that is pretty typical for a...
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Root Cause Evaluation – Why It Is Important
Root Cause Evaluation is the Missing Component Many people come to me and say that they have been diagnosed with vertigo. Vertigo is a symptom of something else or a cluster of other things that are going on, but vertigo is not in itself the root of the problem. It is...
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Dizziness and Mental Health Issues
Dizziness and Mental Health: What is the Relationship? Today we are going to discuss the interplay of dizziness and mental health. I frequently hear this question from my patients, their concerned friends or their family members: "Does everyone who is suffering with...
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Falls: The Hidden Costs
Cost of Falls In the USA, one out of four people over 65 years old report falling every year. Of those, about 50% will fall again within six months. About 20-30% of older people who fall will incur moderate to severe injuries. Many people sustain fractures and require...
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Fear of Falling Causes More Falls
Fear of Falling Fear of falling is the most common fear reported in older adults and it causes changes in behavior, as well as four predictable changes in walking pattern. Many people who fall or feel off balance develop the fear of falling. Some people may develop a...
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What is The Bell Method?
Do you know someone with dizziness or vertigo who feels discouraged about the possibility of a full recovery or a better life? Or feels misunderstood or disregarded by their healthcare providers? Maybe it's you? If so, you may benefit from The Bell Method. Do know of...
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The Benefits of Music to Support Vestibular Health
I have found music therapy improves vestibular health and I feel better emotionally. While playing music, I move my head around which keeps my vestibular system tuned up!
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Dizziness in Exercise Class | What To Do
Have you ever experienced dizziness in exercise class when you lied down, rolled over, turned your head quickly or stood up quickly? Or maybe you have seen someone else in your class complain of dizziness during the class? Did you feel like your instructor knew what to say or do?
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Should You Treat Yourself for BPPV? Understanding your Ear Crystals
In a case of BPPV, a person can have misplaced ear crystals floating in any of one or combination of their 6 inner ear canals.
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BPPV Prevention: Is it Possible?
BPPV Prevention: A research study found that people with low Vitamin D had a higher frequency of BPPV recurrence.
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Laugh with Me for the Health Benefits
I love to laugh and it is definitely more fun if you laugh with me! Laughter has many researched health benefits.
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Medication for Vertigo: What To Know
The research in Vestibular care supports the use of medication for vertigo, such as meclizine, for the first 48 hours of a new onset of vertigo. This medication for vertigo is helpful to bring relief and minimize discomfort for an acute case, or a new case.
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Gratitude Journal
One of the strategies Dr. Bell uses to keep her mood uplifted through the darker time of the year is a Gratitude Journal.
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My Healing Journey
On my own healing journey, I found a root cause analysis approach very useful to improve my sense of well-being and increase my overall joy, enthusiasm and passion for life.
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The Health Benefits of Nature
Have you found that when you spend time in nature you feel refreshed and a renewed sense of well-being? Dr. Bell shares her thoughts on the health benefits of nature.
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Is your Diet causing Vestibular Problems to become Worse?
Dr. Bell’s diet is causing vestibular problems because she has not been focused on taking care of herself. She has reverted to the common, busy American lifestyle on-the-go and she is feeling it!
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Physical Therapy Practice Focused on Dizziness and Vertigo
The Bell Method was created by a perfect intersection of my own personal health struggles as a lifelong vestibular patient falling through the cracks of the healthcare system for about 25 years, and my professional career observing how many undiagnosed vestibular patients are suffering like I have with the social, financial and psychological impact of being mismanaged and misguided.
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BPPV Vertigo Can Affect Anyone at Anytime!
BPPV Vertigo can affect anyone at anytime, quickly changing from irrelevant to emergency. This blog shares two recent news stories about world famous people with BPPV.
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Repeated Falls: What To Do About Them | BetterBalanceInLife.com
I recommend for anyone who is experiencing unexplained repeated falls to get checked out by an expert in fall prevention.
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Three Simple Exercises to Reduce the Risk of Falling
In this blog, I share three simple exercises that you can do at home to reduce your risk of falling. You can also coach your elderly loved ones to do these exercises.
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What Works in Fall Prevention?
Through normal aging, muscles lose strength and quickness, and unconscious balance reactions slow down. The normal loss of muscle is significant enough to cause fear of falling and reduced quality of life, regardless of mobility level. However, there is one effective...
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Reduce Fall Risk
The truth is that our community is in a public health crisis due to the falls in older adults and their devastating consequences. In the US according to CDC.GOV, every 12 seconds an older adult is seen at an emergency room for a fall-related injury and every 20 minutes an older adult dies from a fall. This blog shares strategies to reduce fall risk.
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UCSD Stein Public Lecture: “Dizziness and Vertigo, Part II – Research in Aging”
My mission is to rescue mis-diagnosed and mis-managed patients suffering with dizziness and vertigo. So if you or someone you love are suffering with dizziness or vertigo, I hope you can set aside 75 minutes to check out my 2018 UCSD Stein Public Lecture, “Dizziness and Vertigo, Part II – Research in Aging.”
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Dizziness and Vertigo can Cause Burns
Dizziness and vertigo can cause burns. I share my personal story of suffering a first degree burn on my hand, and the story of a patient who suffered severe burns due to dizziness and vertigo.
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How can I Safely Move around with Vertigo?
The best way to safely move around with vertigo really depends on your individual case of vertigo, the severity of your symptoms, your other medical conditions and the general strength of your abdominals, back, and leg muscles.
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Should I Move around with Vertigo?
People with vertigo often wonder if they should move around with vertigo or sit still. It depends on the root cause of your vertigo symptoms. In this blog, I discuss considerations in moving around with vertigo for three specific root causes.
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Vertigo with Lying Down
I want to share with you a story about a woman I recently met who was having vertigo with lying down. This blog details some of the risks of untreated BPPV.
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Dizziness with Head Turns
Dizziness with head turns can be caused by root causes involving the central nervous system (CNS), the neck bones, the neck muscles and/ or the inner ear, i.e. the vestibular system. The management of dizziness with head turns depends on the root cause, so determining the root cause is critical to optimizing outcomes. It is important to remember that multiple root causes are often present and all root causes need to be addressed for the best results.
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FAQ: Why Do I Feel Less Steady When I Come Indoors After Being Outside During the Day?
Today I am going to answer a question that I hear frequently from my older patients patients which is, “Why do I feel less steady when I come indoors after being outside during the day?”
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Would Better Bladder Control Allow You to Drink More Water?
How can a Physical Therapist who specializes in dizziness and vertigo offer an online course called “Improve Bladder Control: Evidence-Based Bladder Retraining Program?” It is very interesting that I have discovered that many people do not drink enough water due in order to prevent embarrassing accidents and that causes dizziness when they stand up.
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FAQ: Medical Management to Reduce Fall Risk
Today we’re going to answer the frequently asked question (FAQ) that I hear from my patients which is, “If I want to prevent myself from falling, or reduce fall risk, what do I need to know or do medically?”
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FAQ: Will My Dizziness Ever Go Away?
Today we are going to answer the frequently asked question (FAQ) that I often hear from people which is, ‘”Will my dizziness ever go away?”
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FAQ: Should I Be Supplementing with Vitamin D to Reduce My Risk of Falling?
Today we are going to answer a question that I frequently hear (FAQ) from my patients, which is, “Should I be supplementing with vitamin D to reduce my risk of falling?”
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FAQ: Why Do I Get Dizzy When I Look Up?
Today we are going to answer a question that I frequently hear (FAQ) from my patients which is, “Why do I get dizzy when I look up?”
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Recurrence of BPPV Symptoms: How Will I Know if it Comes Back?
The key point of Pat’s story is to understand that she never complained of dizziness and vertigo, but had unexplained repeated falls and always tested positive for BPPV. I offer three tips to detect BPPV symptoms.
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Is it True: Can I have Vertigo Memory Problems?
I said, “Well, let’s see of your brain still feels foggy after we treat your vertigo symptoms because BPPV can cause impairments in short term memory and concentration.”
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Can Anyone Help with the Room Spinning Before I Get Hurt Again?
Let this be a wake-up call for those experiencing “room spinning” to seek out help from a Vestibular Expert before serious fall-related injuries occur.
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Self-Awareness of Walking Stability with Neuropathy or Normal Aging of the Feet
It dawned on me how important it might be for people who have unstable walking, chronic falls or foot neuropathy to ask a friend or family member if they appear to be shuffling their feet on the ground while they walk.
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My Message of Hope to Those who Suffer with Dizziness and Vertigo
Recently, I was chatting with a retired physician about my clinical specialty in Dizziness and Vertigo. We had a good laugh about the fact that an entire clinical practice could be built around one main symptom.
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Foot Neuropathy Treatment
A patient I saw today amazed me in the last 6 weeks by the improvement in his walking stability and his confidence with walking outside. When I first saw him, he was literally shuffling – or sliding – his feet along the floor with small steps while he walked and he teetered side to side.
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