Can Balance Tell Us Anything About The Health Of Your Brain?
As a Bellevue chiropractor one of the tools that I use to assess my patients nervous system is to have them stand on one leg. The balance center of your brain is an important part of your brain. Why don’t you give it a try? Stand up, close booth eyes, and while standing as still as possible lift one leg up off of the ground and stand on one leg as long as you can. Normal function is roughly 20 to 30 seconds. Now try it with the other foot, see if it easier or harder. How did you do?
(0-20 seconds)If you had a problem getting to 10 seconds let alone 30 this may be a sign that there is some dysfunction in the joints of your body. Each joint of the body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head has little sensors in them that are linked to the brain. These little sensors tell the brain where the body is at in gravity.
To see these little sensors in action we are going to do another little test. Extend your right and left arms out to the sides, and one at a time touch your finger to your nose. Now do it with your eyes closed. If you are saying to yourself “this is the drunk test” you are right! Your ability to touch your nose shows us that your joint sensors that tell you where your arm is at are working well.
The problem comes when the joints get injured. An injury to any joint of the body, but especially the joints in the low back, pelvis, and legs will disrupt the joint sensors ability to tell you were you are at with your eyes closed. So if you had a hard time standing on one leg for very long, it may mean that your joints are not working as well as they should be. When you go to the Chiropractor they will be able to diagnose the specific joints that are not working and make adjustments to those joints to restore function. Proper function in the joints means your brain can once again communicate with your body!
Don’t wait until its too late to get your joints assessed for proper function. If you had a hard time reaching 30 seconds while balancing it may be a good idea to visit a Bellevue chiropractor to be assessed.
Dr. Michael Weir is a Bellevue Chiropractor and clinic director at Back in Action Chiropractic Clinic Center. To schedule a visit with Dr. Weir please call is clinicat 425-635-0495.