A special balance test originally used by NASA in its space programmes has been adopted by an Abu Dhabi hospital to help determine the cause of prolonged or recurrent dizziness.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi – which is part of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in the United States – has just launched a specialised multidisciplinary “Balance Clinic” which includes the EquiTest, known as the world’s first commercially available Computerised Dynamic Posturography (CDP) device when first launched in the 1980s. NASA continues to utilise EquiTest for the routine evaluation and balance rehabilitation of its astronauts.

“When patients come to our Balance Clinic, their main problem is that they don’t have an answer to why they’re feeling this way,” said Mark Bassim, otologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Balance Clinic. “Some of them have been feeling dizzy or living in fear of dizzy spells for five, ten or even fifteen years. I make it very clear to our patients that living with dizziness is not okay. 

“Our mission here is to find the answer to their problem and get them the treatment they need to take their lives back.”

THE LARGER CONTEXT

The EquiTest at the Balance Clinic works by measuring a patient’s response to various movements; a computer then produces a series of readings that help a physician assess balance and stability to find the root cause of the symptoms of chronic dizziness.

Based on their assessment, the patient then receives an individual treatment plan that consists of medication, surgery, or a combination of both. In many cases, the clinic stated, specialised physical therapy known as vestibular rehabilitation therapy (VRT) can “significantly accelerate recovery.”

ON THE RECORD

“One of the real challenges with assessing dizziness and its causes is just how fuzzy descriptions can be. The way people experience and quantify dizziness is unique to them,” continued Bassim. “With the right equipment and expertise, however, we can determine precisely how a person is affected and begin to pinpoint the cause of related symptoms. 

“Once we have a firm diagnosis, we can treat the underlying cause and help our patients feel more firmly planted on the ground and confident in their daily life once again.”