Tone Burst Vestibular Stimulation (TBVS) as an Effective Treatment for Balance Impairment
People with balance impairments can be treated by stimulating the vestibular system using sound input to the inner ear structures to help re-wire the vestibular system. Using bone conducting headphones like the ones pictured above, a clinician can effectively improve the function of a person’s vestibular system and improve any balance impairments that person may be experiencing.
The vestibular nuclei, which originates with the vestibular nerves shown above, send descending pathways to the postural and ambulatory muscles of the spine. These nuclei are ideal targets if you can find an interface to modulate them in our patients with balance impairment.
By stimulating the semi-circular canals of the inner ear using tones at specific frequencies a clinician is able to successfully modulate the signals sent by the vestibular nerve down through the descending motor pathways.
The way that this is achieved is more simple than you might imagine. In order to do it, you only need two things. A mobile app which can be purchased on the Apple and Android app stores and, as previously mentioned, Bluetooth bone conducting headphones. The app allows you to play the appropriate tone frequencies through the headphones which then stimulate the inner ear.
It’s important to note that there is a lot more theory and in-depth knowledge that goes into this treatment, so I would advise anyone interested in this form of treatment to consult their nearest Chiropractic Neurologist for more information on how this treatment works or how it could be effective for you.
This form of treatment is offered at our office, but may not be offered everywhere.
Example of a patient suffering from MS receiving TBVS treatment:
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