Balance (Vestibular) Disorders

Because balance is controlled by the inner ear, we’ve developed a comprehensive program to assess symptoms of balance problems (dizziness, falling or the sensation of falling, blurred vision, disorientation, or nausea), identify their cause, and develop a successful course of treatment.

Our programs at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, and the Nemours Children’s Clinic, Jacksonville, are unique because we are able to perform specialized testing in labs, where we can stimulate the inner ear and see how balance and gross motor skills (that is, movement of the large muscles) are affected. At duPont Hospital, we can also use this testing in conjunction with the Gait and Motion Analysis Lab to see how inner ear stimulation affects balance during walking and other dynamic movements.

Currently, Nemours is the most state-of-the art center for pediatric vestibular disorders in the country. Our specialists have standardized the testing of children with balance disorders with the goal of making this testing nationally consistent.