Cawthorne Balance Exercises

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		Cawthorne Balance Exercises

Cawthorne Balance Exercises

AIMS

To loosen the muscles of the neck and shoulders to overcome the protective muscular spasm and tendency to move in one place.
To train movement of the eyes independent of the head.
To practice balancing under everyday conditions with special attention to developing the use of the eyes, muscle, and joint sense.
To practice head movements that cause giddiness, thus overcoming the disability gradually.
To become accustomed to moving about naturally both in daylight and in the dark.
To encourage the restoration of self-confidence and easy, spontaneous movement.

A. IN BED

1. Eye movements – beginning slowly, then quickening

Up and down.
Side-to-side.
Focusing on finger moving from 3 feet to 1 foot away from the face.

2. Head movements – beginning slowly, then quickening; later with eyes
closed.

Bending forwards and backwards.
Turning from side-to-side.

B. SITTING

3. Shoulder shrugging and circling.

4. Bending over and picking up objects from the floor.

C. STANDING

Repeat 1, 2, and 3

4. Changing from sitting to standing position with eyes open and shut.

5. Throwing a ball from hand-to-hand (above eye level).

6. Throwing a ball from hand-to-hand under knee.

7. Changing from sitting to standing and turning around in between.

D. MOVING ABOUT

1. Walking across room with eyes open and then closed.

2. Walking up and down a slope with eyes open and then closed.

3. Walking up and down steps with eyes open and then closed.

4. Any game involving stooping, stretching, and aiming, such as bowling
and shuffleboard.

The exercises in the scheme outlined above can be varied or extended according to need.

The order in which the exercises are carried out should NOT be varied.

Eastside ENT Specialists, Inc. 9500 Mentor Ave. #200 Mentor, Ohio 44060
(440) 352-1474