Neurological disorders causing falls often affect movement, balance, and cognition, with common culprits including Parkinson's disease, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Dementia (like Alzheimer's), Peripheral Neuropathy, and conditions leading to Foot Drop, impacting gait and stability; these disorders disrupt nerve signals controlling muscles and coordination, leading to instability and increased fall risk.
Physiotherapists commonly treat people who are at a higher risk of falls due to neurological problems such as:
Neurological disorders: Diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's can affect balance control. Orthostatic hypotension: This is a sudden blood pressure drop when you stand up. Peripheral neuropathy: Nerve damage in hands or feet affects your body's signals.
Symptoms that occur suddenly:
Causes of falls include:
Listed in the directory below are some, for which we have provided a brief overview.
Conditions that make you more likely to fall
How quickly should I seek medical care for sudden neurological symptoms? For symptoms like sudden severe headache, one-sided weakness, vision loss, or slurred speech, seek emergency care immediately. These could indicate life-threatening conditions like stroke where every minute matters for treatment outcomes.
In more than half of people with myasthenia gravis, the first symptoms involve eye muscles, such as:
Progressive neurological conditions affect the nervous system and gradually impair its function over time. These conditions can impact mobility, cognition, behaviour, and the ability to perform everyday tasks.
Certain conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, or problems with your vision, thyroid, nerves, or blood vessels can cause dizziness and other balance problems.
4 Neurological Symptoms to Never Ignore
The first signs of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often involve vision problems (like blurred or double vision, pain with eye movement), sensory changes (numbness, tingling, pins and needles), and balance issues (dizziness, unsteadiness). Other common early symptoms include overwhelming fatigue, muscle weakness, stiffness, spasms, cognitive difficulties (memory/concentration), and bladder/bowel problems, though symptoms vary greatly from person to person.
Certain conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, or problems with your thyroid, nerves, feet, or blood vessels can affect your balance and lead to a fall.
Neurological disorders that are treated by ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists include a group of conditions that affect balance. The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that carry messages between them.
Neurological Disorders: Problems with the brain or nerves, such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, can affect balance and coordination. These conditions can make it hard to walk steadily, increasing the chance of falling.
For example, focal dystonia in the hands can cause someone to unintentionally drop things more often. Over time, focal dystonia can lead to more severe symptoms, such as muscle cramps, muscle pain, twitching (myoclonus), and abnormal posture of certain body parts.
Often referred to as "the snowflake disease," myasthenia gravis, or MG, affects each person differently and likewise, treatment must be individualized. Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease characterized by muscle weakness of the voluntary muscles. The more these muscles are used, the more they weaken.
Swallowing, speaking and breathing
a husky, quiet or nasal-sounding voice. difficulty swallowing. choking and accidentally inhaling bits of food, which can lead to repeated chest infections. shortness of breath, particularly when lying down or after exercise.
Difficulty walking, clumsiness, or dropping objects can point to neurological concerns. Trouble with thinking clearly, remembering things, or making decisions shouldn't be ignored. Even a single seizure is worth evaluating.
Neurodegenerative conditions: Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease. Neuromuscular conditions: Muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain conditions: Epilepsy, migraines and headache disorders, stroke, traumatic brain injury.
Five significant signs your brain might be in trouble include memory loss (especially recent events), difficulty with familiar tasks or language, confusion about time/place, significant personality/behavior changes, and problems with judgment, focus, or coordinating movement, often indicating conditions like dementia, brain injury, or other neurological issues, requiring a doctor's visit.
Additional symptoms of progressive supranuclear palsy vary and may mimic those of Parkinson's disease and dementia. Symptoms get worse over time and may include: Stiffness, especially of the neck, and awkward movements. Falling, especially falling backward.
Some of the most common causes include:
The five P's of fall prevention are used to help determine if a patient is susceptible to falls and ensure that the patient is safe from falls. They are: Pain, Potty, Periphery, Position & Pump.