Stroke Information

• Home
• About Us
• Chest Information
• Heart Information
• Stroke Information
  • What Is A Stroke?
  • Transient Ischaemic Attacks & Minor Strokes
  • Your Stroke Journey
  • How Stroke Affects You
    • Swallowing Problems
    • Visual Problems
    • Continence Problems
    • Tiredness
    • Balance Problems
    • Communication Problems
    • Behaviour Problems
    • Coping With Anxiety
    • Coping with Depression
    • Poor Concentration
    • Memory Problems
    • Thinking Problems
    • Central Post Stroke Pain
    • Epilepsy
  • Living With A Stroke
  • Reduce Your Risk Of Stroke
  • Where To Get Help
  • Information For Carers
  • Stroke Links & Contacts
  • Suggested Book List
  • FAQs
• Advice Line
• Publications and DVDs
• Community Support
• Fundraising
• Education, Training and Funding Applications
• Voices Scotland
• Research
• Volunteering
• Health Professionals
• Stroke Chat Scotland

You are in: Home > Stroke Information > How Stroke Affects You > Balance Problems

Balance Problems

• Many people have problems with balance after a stroke.
• Balance problems affect your ability to walk and increase your risk of falling.

Normally you do not have to think about balancing, e.g. when walking, sitting or standing. Messages from your eyes, ears and muscles tell your brain exactly where you are, what dangers you are in and what you need to do to move yourself safely. After a stroke, these messages may be weakened or distorted, leaving you unsteady and at risk of falling.

• Causes
• Physiotherapy
• Steps to improve your balance
• Keep practising!
• Individual training and devices
• Safety tips

Causes

• Your stroke may have damaged the part of your brain that controls balance / coordination of movement.
• If your vision and hearing have been affected by your stroke then your sense of balance probably will be too.
• 'Inattention' (the inability to process information in relation to the affected side of your body) can contribute to balance problems.

As your brain slowly repairs itself coordination and balance often returns without any therapy or treatment. Most people regain their balance within a couple of months of the stroke.

However, residual problems may remain and some people may find that their balance does not recover.

Back to top

Physiotherapy

Be patient when trying to regain your balance, it is an ability you have to relearn. You will usually need the help of a physiotherapist.

• If you are in hospital your physiotherapist will assess your ability to balance.
• If you are at home your GP may be able to arrange for you to see a community physiotherapist.
• You could pay to see a private physiotherapist / get additional therapy.

Steps to improve your balance

• The first step is to learn to balance upright while sitting in a chair.
• Once you can sit upright you will need to learn to transfer between the bed and a chair. You will be less afraid of falling if you practice when there is somebody around.
• You are ready to start learning to walk once you can transfer safely.

Keep practising!

• Practice is crucial to success! It is important to practise in different places and for short periods at a time.

Being able to keep your balance in the gym does not mean you will be able to do so in a busy street or around the home where there are distractions.

Once you're steady on your feet, you should try keeping your balance while doing various activities, such as picking up objects.

Being overtired makes you more likely to fall so only practise for 20 minutes at a time to begin with an build things up slowly.

It is natural to be nervous about falling, and for your family / friends to be afraid that you may hurt yourself. However, don't let the fear of falling stop you getting mobile again. If you are nervous you are more likely to fall. So don't be disheartened if you fall a few times. If you practice when somebody else is around, he or she can help you.

Back to top

Individual training and devices

Your physiotherapist may suggest some different types of training or devices that may help you become more confident about walking. These may include:

• Ankle foot orthoses: braces placed on your ankle and foot to improve balance and walking
• Physical fitness training: regular, planned exercise routine, e.g. walking.
• Treadmill training: to increase your walking speed. Only used if you are able to walk at the start of your treatment.
• Muscle strength training: to build up your muscle strength.
• Repetitive task training: repeating everyday tasks, e.g. going from sitting in a chair to standing.
• Functional electrical simulation: small electrical currents activate nerves in parts of your body affected by your stroke to improve drop–foot (difficulty in moving your ankle and toes upward).

Some of the above treatments are not suitable for everyone. Your physiotherapist will work with you to decide what is best for you.

Note on walking sticks: opinion on the use of walking sticks is divided among specialists. Talk to your physiotherapist about whether a walking stick would help you in any way.

Safety tips

• Make sure your home is well lit to reduce the risk of falling.
• Remove rugs and obstacles that could make you trip or throw you off balance.
• Wear sensible, well–fitting shoes.
• Practise walking in short bursts: never when you are tired.
• Focus on an object in the distance to help steady yourself.
• Install an alarm system to summon help if you fall.
• Talk to your GP if you have lasting problems.

Back to top