What are Balance Disorders and Ataxias?

Balance disorders make you feel unsteady, dizzy, or lightheaded, leading to difficulties walking in a straight line or maintaining posture. Ataxia refers to the loss of voluntary coordination of muscle movements, frequently stemming from dysfunction in the cerebellum, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves.

Types & Causes

• Cerebellar Ataxia: Strokes, tumors, autoimmune cerebellar ataxia, alcohol-related degeneration, or hereditary spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA).
• Sensory Ataxia: Damage to proprioceptive pathways in peripheral nerves or dorsal columns (e.g., Vitamin B12 deficiency, diabetic neuropathy).
• Vestibular Balance Disorders: Bilateral vestibular hypofunction or inner ear pathology.

Symptoms

• Wide-based, unsteady, swaying gait (drunken-like gait)
• Poor hand-eye coordination and clumsy fine motor tasks
• Slurred, scanning speech (dysarthria)
• Involuntary eye movements (nystagmus)
• Frequent stumbling, loss of balance in the dark, and falls

Treatment by Dr. Rajni Fulwariya

Accurate neurological localization, metabolic correction, immunotherapies for autoimmune ataxias, electrophysiological testing (NCS/SSEP), and specialized neuro-physiotherapy for balance and gait retraining.