Fall prevention physical therapy in Chatsworth, one-on-one with Dr. Ed
A plan for steadier walking and fewer falls, built in visits of about 60 minutes with a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and vertigo treated in the same room.
Who balance and fall prevention is for
- You have fallen, or nearly fallen.Once is enough. A fall after 65 is the most common reason people lose their independence, and the next one is more likely than the first unless something changes.
- You feel unsteady.Holding the wall in the hallway, avoiding stairs, not trusting your feet in the dark or on uneven ground, and slowly doing less because of it.
- You get dizzy.The room spins when you roll over in bed or look up; you feel off-balance after a cold, an ear problem or a head knock. Vertigo and dizziness have their own section below.
- After a hospital stay, surgery or a stroke.Strength and confidence that have not come back on their own (see neurological rehabilitation and post-op physical therapy).
- You are the worried family member.Your parent has started to shuffle, lean or grab for furniture, and you want someone to assess it properly and give them a program.
What treatment looks like with Dr. Ed
The first visit is an evaluation of about 60 minutes, depending on what you need, one-on-one with Dr. Ed. He tests your balance in the ways falls actually happen: standing with eyes closed, turning, reaching, stepping over something, getting up from a chair without hands, walking while talking. He checks leg strength, ankle and hip mobility, the inner ear and the nervous system, and asks about your home, your footwear, your medications and the falls you have had. Then he tells you plainly where the risk is and what the plan is.
Every visit after that is about 60 minutes with Dr. Ed, nobody else, and usually mixes:
- Balance retraining, starting from where you are safe and made harder each week.
- Strength work for the legs and hips, the muscles that catch you.
- Gait training: stride, turning, stairs, curbs and uneven ground, with or without a cane or walker, and whether you need one at all.
- Vestibular rehabilitation for dizziness and vertigo (next section).
- Practical fall-proofing: how to get up from the floor, which shoes, which rugs, where a grab bar belongs.
- A short written home program a family member can supervise, adjusted every visit.
Family members are welcome at every session. The number of visits depends on what the evaluation finds and is set after it, never quoted up front. Evening and Saturday appointments mean an adult child who works can bring you.
Vertigo and dizziness treatment in Chatsworth
Dizziness is one of the most common causes of falls, and the most treatable. Dr. Ed treats vertigo and dizziness with vestibular rehabilitation: exercises and positioning techniques that retrain the inner ear and the brain to work together again. The most common form, BPPV, where loose crystals in the inner ear set off spinning when you roll over or look up, often improves within a few visits with repositioning maneuvers done in the clinic.
Other dizziness, after an inner ear infection, a concussion or simply with age, responds to a graded program of head and eye movements and balance work. Bring any ENT or neurology notes you have; if Dr. Ed thinks the dizziness needs a doctor's look first, he will say so.
Balance conditions treated
- Age-related balance loss and fall risk
- Vertigo and BPPV
- Dizziness after an inner ear infection, concussion or head injury
- Unsteadiness after a hospital stay, surgery or illness
- Balance problems after stroke or with Parkinson's disease (see neurological rehabilitation)
- Peripheral neuropathy and numb feet
- Leg weakness, arthritis and joint replacement affecting walking
- Fear of falling that has started to limit daily life
"Dr. Ed Shut is the best physical therapist I've been to, and, due to a variety of ailments, I've seen a few. He is both very experienced at diagnosing the problems I've come in with, especially after hip replacement surgery, and he is also been intuitive about finding ways to fix my balance and strength through treatments and continuing exercise."
Medicare and referrals
Medicare is accepted. Medicare patients need a referral from their doctor, which most primary care physicians will write for fall risk or dizziness on request.
- No referral needed to start
- California law lets you see a physical therapist without a referral for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. After that, we need a referral from your doctor to continue. Medicare patients need a referral from the start.
- Insurance
- We accept Medicare and personal injury liens. If you have PPO insurance, we provide a superbill, an itemized receipt you send to your insurer for reimbursement. Direct-pay patients are welcome.
- Visits
- Visits run about 60 minutes, depending on what you need, and every one is one-on-one with Dr. Ed.
Details and what to bring are on the insurance and cost page.
Common questions about balance and falls
Does Medicare cover balance and fall prevention physical therapy?
Medicare covers medically necessary physical therapy with a referral from your doctor, and fall risk and dizziness are common reasons for one. Dr. Ed accepts Medicare; ask your doctor for the referral and bring it to the first visit.
I am afraid I will fall during the exercises.
You will not be left to wobble. Every exercise is done with Dr. Ed right there, at a level you can manage, and made harder only when you are ready.
Can physical therapy really help vertigo?
Yes. For the most common kind, BPPV, repositioning maneuvers done in the clinic often settle it within a few visits. Other dizziness improves with a graded exercise program.
Can my son or daughter come with me?
Yes, and it helps. They can learn the home program and the safety habits so they can support you between visits.
Is the clinic easy to get into?
Yes. Free parking is right in front of the building, there is no gate code, and the entrance and parking are wheelchair accessible.
Do I need a cane or a walker?
Maybe, maybe not. Dr. Ed assesses that honestly at the evaluation, fits it correctly if you do, and works toward needing it less if that is realistic.
Book your balance evaluation
Tell Dr. Ed what has been happening, whether there have been falls or dizziness, and who will be coming with you. He will confirm your time by phone or email, usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call (818) 749-3205Dr. Ed answers his own phone.
19851 Nordhoff Place, Unit 105 (Suite C), Chatsworth, CA 91311
Mon to Sat 10am to 8pm, Sun closed. Free parking in the lot in front, no gate code, street parking available.
Book by phone
Call (818) 749-3205Mon to Sat 10am to 8pm, Sun closed
The online booking form opens here soon. Until then, call or email chatsworthpt@gmail.com and we confirm your time, usually the same day.
No payment is required to book.