Difficulty with coordination or an unsteady gait can dramatically affect your quality of life. At San Diego Chiropractic Neurology, we offer specialized Coordination, Balance & Gait Therapy to help you move confidently again. Whether you're recovering from a neurological injury or finding yourself more unsteady with age, our therapists create a customized exercise program to improve your stability, walking, and overall coordination in a safe, supportive environment.
Your ability to stand upright, walk smoothly, and move with precision depends on a remarkably complex system involving three major sensory inputs: your visual system (eyes), your vestibular system (inner ear), and your proprioceptive system (sensory receptors in muscles, joints, and skin). Your brain—particularly the cerebellum and brainstem—constantly integrates signals from all three systems to calculate exactly which muscles to activate, when, and with how much force.
When any part of this system is disrupted—whether by a brain injury, inner ear disorder, nerve damage, or degenerative condition—the result is impaired balance, clumsy coordination, or an abnormal walking pattern (gait). Falls become more frequent, confidence drops, and daily activities become unnecessarily difficult or even dangerous.
Effective balance rehabilitation requires addressing all three sensory systems that contribute to postural stability:
Your eyes provide critical spatial orientation information—telling your brain where you are relative to your surroundings. Visual processing deficits after brain injury or stroke can severely impair balance even when the inner ear and muscles are functioning normally. We train visual-motor integration through gaze stabilization exercises, optokinetic training, and depth perception drills.
Your inner ear's vestibular organs detect head position and angular/linear acceleration. Vestibular dysfunction—from BPPV, vestibular neuritis, Meniere's disease, or concussion—is one of the most common causes of balance problems. We use targeted vestibular rehabilitation exercises, including head-movement habituation, canalith repositioning, and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) training, to restore vestibular function.
Proprioceptors in your muscles, tendons, and joints send constant feedback to your brain about body position and movement. Peripheral neuropathy, joint injuries, and prolonged immobility can degrade proprioceptive input, making you feel unsteady—especially on uneven surfaces or in the dark. We strengthen proprioception through unstable surface training, joint position sense exercises, and progressive weight-shifting drills.
We begin with a detailed evaluation of your balance, coordination, and walking pattern. This includes standardized balance tests (Romberg, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up-and-Go), observational gait analysis, neurological screening, and vestibular/visual assessment. We identify exactly which systems are contributing to your impairment and establish baseline measurements for tracking progress.
The first treatment phase focuses on building a stable base. We work on static balance (standing still with progressively challenging conditions: eyes open → eyes closed → foam surface → single leg), core stabilization, and proprioceptive awareness exercises. For patients at high fall risk, all exercises begin in a supported environment with safety harnesses or parallel bars as needed.
Once static stability improves, we advance to dynamic challenges: weight shifting, reaching tasks, catching/throwing drills, tandem walking, lateral stepping, and obstacle navigation. These exercises train your brain to maintain balance while your body is in motion—which is where most real-world falls occur. We incorporate visual and vestibular challenges to build multi-sensory integration.
This phase specifically targets walking quality. We analyze and correct stride length, walking speed, step symmetry, foot clearance, arm swing, and turning mechanics. Techniques include treadmill training with visual biofeedback, over-ground walking with cueing strategies, backward walking drills, and practice on varied terrain (ramps, stairs, uneven surfaces). For stroke patients, we focus on reducing compensatory patterns and improving symmetry.
The final phase prepares you for real-world demands. We practice dual-task activities (walking while talking or carrying items), community mobility skills (navigating crowds, crossing streets), and perturbation training (recovering from unexpected pushes or surface changes). We also teach fall prevention strategies and provide a home exercise program to maintain your gains independently.
Our coordination and gait rehabilitation program helps patients with a wide range of underlying conditions:
Vestibular-related balance problems are a primary indication for coordination and gait therapy.
Learn morePost-concussion balance deficits respond well to structured coordination rehabilitation.
Learn moreOrthostatic instability and exercise intolerance benefit from progressive balance and gait training.
Learn moreInner ear rehabilitation directly complements coordination and gait training for balance disorders.
View serviceVisual-motor integration training enhances coordination by improving the brain's visual guidance system.
View serviceDual-task cognitive training improves the mental components of coordinated movement and fall prevention.
View serviceCall us at (619) 344-0111 to schedule your balance and gait evaluation.