Balance Clinic

The Balance Clinic at The Neurosciences Institute has successfully treated thousands of patients with a wide range of dizziness and balance disorders. Common types of dizziness include lightheadedness, a sense of “wooziness” or feeling faint, and the spinning sensations that characterize vertigo. Some patients with balance disorders do not have these sensations but have trouble walking and performing normal daily tasks. Because balance problems can often lead to falls or serious injuries, it is important to accurately diagnose and treat these disorders immediately.

The Neurosciences Institute offers its patients the most comprehensive series of tests for inner ear disorders available in order to help determine the most accurate diagnosis and treatment for the disorder.

Significant medical advances have led to new treatments for balance disorders.

  • Today, most patients can be successfully treated without the use of drugs or surgery. In some cases, a single treatment may solve the underlying problem.
  • Patients with chronic conditions receive an individualized treatment program that often includes a plan for continued home therapy after completing outpatient therapy.
  • Morton Plant Hospital's Balance Clinic staff equips patients with tools that can help them maintain and improve balance throughout their lifetimes.
  • A nurse practitioner specializing in balance and dizziness is available to patients at The Neurosciences Institute.

Specialized Balance Testing

Balance is a complex and multi-faceted issue, and disorders can be due to one or more subtle conditions. Testing can be vital to achieving accurate diagnosis and treatment. Our team of specialists includes a board-certified neurologist, who is also fellow-trained in neuro-ophthalmology; qualified audiologists; and certified vestibular and balance physical therapists.

We offer a wide range of highly specialized tests including videonystagmography (VNG), which tests inner ear function and how the brain utilizes this information to maintain balance and computerized dynamic posturography, in which patients stand on a platform and attempt to maintain balance during brief periods of movement. (A safety harness keeps patients from falling.)

We also offer the following non-invasive imaging procedures that can help pinpoint the source(s) of dizziness or imbalance:

  • Imaging of the brain with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) systems.
  • Nerve Conduction Testing (NCT) - Patients whose peripheral nerve function is impaired can experience numbness, tingling, pain, and imbalance.
  • Automated visual field testing for patients with visual field loss

For more information about the Balance Clinic, please call (727) 461-8635.

The Neurosciences Institute Ptak Orthopaedic & Neuroscience Pavilion
430 Morton Plant Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 461-8635