Balance is a term frequently used by healthcare professionals, as there is no universally accepted definition of human balance. It can be said that balance is the ability to maintain the center of gravity of a body, with minimal postural influence.

Postural control is defined as the act of maintaining, touching or restoring a state of balance during any posture or activity.

Rocking is the horizontal movement of the center of gravity even when a person is standing still.

A slight increase in rocking is inevitable due to small disturbances inside the body (breathing, displacement of body weight from one leg to another) or because of external triggers (visual distortions, floor bumps). An increase in rocking is not necessarily an indicator of dysfunctional balance as much as it is an indicator of decreased sensory control.

The function of balance in humans has its core at the level of the inner ear and is represented by the two labyrinthine organs ("vestibules"). Along with these, to maintaining the balance also participate with information the organ of hearing (cochlea/snail), the sight, the system of "touching" (proprioception) and obviously the brain, which coordinates them all in a unitary way.

The balance function is basically materialized by muscle contractions, addressed mainly to skeletal muscles and eyeball muscles. All these organs and systems require for functioning energy and oxygen provided by the heart, circulated with the help of blood through the vascular systems.

Thus, maintaining balance requires the coordination of stimuli coming from several sensory systems, including the vestibular, somatic-sensory, proprioceptive, musculoskeletal and visual systems.

The senses must detect changes in spatial orientation in relation to the support base, regardless of whether the body is moving or whether the base is altered.

➢ Sensation of dizziness/fainting
➢ Confusion
➢ Vision changes (blurriness)
➢ Sensation of instability
➢ Sensation of nausea and vomiting

Various factors can affect balance, such as light conditions, changes in the surface of the floor, alcohol, drugs, diseases of the inner ear, more precisely of the vestibular system that is considered the organ of balance, as well as other medical conditions.

Thus, loss of balance while walking or the feeling of imbalance can result from:

➢ vestibular problems (abnormalities of the inner ear can cause a floating or heavy head sensation and instability in the dark)
➢ nerve damage in the legs (peripheral neuropathy can lead to difficulty maintaining balance while walking)
➢ joint and muscle problems (muscular hypotonia and unstable joints can contribute to loss of balance)
➢ vision disorders can also lead to postural instability
➢ some drugs (loss of balance or instability may be a side effect of some drugs).
➢ certain neurological disorders (cervical spondylosis, Parkinson's disease manifest with postural instability and loss of balance).
➢ sedentary lifestyle.
Being inactive can lead to a decrease in the quality of life and in patients with a history of imbalance, it can further reduce the tolerance to movement by lowering the threshold at which the symptoms of dizziness and instability worsen.
➢ dizziness and postural instability are commonly associated with the state of stress, fatigue and anxiety.

1. Sufficient physical activity will stimulate the brain and neuroplasticity - its ability to adapt, to recover or to compensate for certain deficiencies, as a result of the interactions that man has with the environment. The exercise program, adapted to the triggering condition and the individual situation, must be established by the doctor/physical therapist and will include:

➢ specific exercises for vestibular reeducation. To recover balance, there is a specific exercise program, which is repeated 2 times/day for several months. Keep in mind that the exercises that most often cause dizziness are the ones that help to recover the long-term balance.
➢ physical exercises necessary for the development of coarse motor skills (exercises to increase the muscle strength of large muscle groups)
➢ exercises for the development of coordination

2. Managing stress and fatigue - these two states are important triggers of vestibular symptoms. When stress or fatigue increases, balance problems can also occur.

3. Drug treatment
When the triggering cause is vestibular in nature, there are drugs that help reduce the episode of dizziness/instability.