Vestibular Adaptation Training after Partial Vestibular Organ Injury

Loss of balance can result from numerous causes but the most common are pathologies associated with the peripheral vestibular organs of the inner ear. For example, over half of patients who have had a serious fall show signs of vestibular organ disorder. This is especially the case in the elderly, where approximately 25% of those aged over 65, and an astonishing 85% of those over 80, have dramatically reduced vestibular organ function [1,2] swelling these already significant numbers are adults under 65 with an injury to the balance organs [3] The resulting costs are substantial; injuries alone in the USA are estimated to account for a staggering loss to the economy of $130 billion per year.