Question…when I stand with feet together and close my eyes I cannot stay still no matter how much I will myself…nearly fell over today trying it AGAIN lol…comments plz… Kate Xx
went for physio once to try to find some help for my balance issues, and the physiotherapist suggested I try to do exactly that. I also had to try to stand heel to toe for a designated time with no hand help.
I went down the quick way a couple of times but I got the hang of it slowly, never good though.
Mark
Sorry, but I can’t help myself… Stop doing it!
There’s no great purpose to being able to stand with our feet together and our eyes closed (not exactly a life skill!) so try not to worry about it unless poor balance is affecting your life.
If it is, I agree with Mark - practice really can help, but make sure you are standing somewhere that you can’t hurt yourself if you fall and don’t panic if you feel yourself wobbling - the point is to learn to control the wobble using your core, leg and bum muscles and not give up straightaway. Your GP can refer you to neurophysio to get help and advice.
Karen x
Karen you made me chuckle…I don’t routinely do this but read it can be a sign of something neurological…made me think that’s all…but you made me laugh so much with your cheering reply I now have aching cheeks lol Kate Xxx Thanks again for the chuckle xxxx
It made me laugh as well 
I can’t hold my balance especially under those conditions but when I saw my Neuro he tested me via hopping whilst turning round. That showed I was fine in that particular area. Sam
Don’t do it was my exact thoughts too lol
Hi Kate, I’m guessing this is what you’re mean?
http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/RombergTest.html
I’m hopeless in the dark and can’t even close my eyes in the shower because my balance goes…
Mags
Funny old thing, balance.
You just don’t realise how many things contribute to good balance - until you lose just one or two.
The eyes, the inner ears, and the proprioceptors (sensory inputs from muscles and joints) all contribute.
So, yes, closing the eyes can seriously degrade your balance - and do it very quickly. I have learned how to wash my hair in the shower with one elbow propped against the wall, because I dare not close my eyes even for a moment without support.
It is just like Karen says, you need the core muscles to control the wobble. Then you need the legs to maintain a standing position. One big hazard of the “dropped foot” is that it is too easy to get your weight beyond the foot that has not moved. Good core stability will warn you before your position gets to be dangerous.
A good neurophysiotherapist will come up with a lot of small exercises that help the core muscles regain a bit of lost control - and it only needs a little bit to transform a fall into a controlled descent (or even not a fall at all). One thing that you can do is to buy yourself a “wobble cushion”, and sit on it. Google “DiscoSit” and you will see one. Try sitting on one and closing your eyes and you will find out very quickly (and safely) how much the eyes contribute to good balance. Standing with your feet togther is a favourite exercise with the physios - and it is a useful test as well. You can progress from the feet together thing, to doing it and closing the eyes, to doing it on a soft spongy mat (think two layers of carpet underlay), to doing that with your eyes closed - and as your balance improves from single seconds to tens of seconds, you may well think it is worth while.
But it is worth doing something now - don’t wait until the balance is really poor. Use it or lose it applies here.
Geoff