10/11/2024
Do you feel wobbly or off-balance when you close your eyes?
Recently, one of my patients shared that she feels dizzy whenever she walks by the waterfront. But if she crosses over to the opposite sidewalk, that dizziness goes away. She explained that seeing the moving water in her peripheral vision made her feel uneasy.
Interestingly, when we did our assessment, her balance and dizziness actually got worse when she closed her eyes. What could be causing this?
In people who are visually dependent, their vision starts to play a dominant role in maintaining their balance and posture. This makes complex visual inputs harder to process, but closing the eyes will also remove a key source of sensory information for the brain, which can also make people feel βoffβ.
We can help to address this visual dependence by improving other sensory systems for balance using vestibular therapy or upper cervical chiropractic. By helping the brain better integrate these sensory inputs, we can help you feel more grounded, reduce dizzy spells and prevent falls.