Are You at Risk of Sustaining a Fall-Related Injury? Get Back on Your Feet with Physical Therapy
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in four adults (28%), age 65 and older, report falling each year. While every fall does not result in an injury, about 8 million of those falls required medical treatment or needed to restrict their activity for one day.
In older adults, falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries. Most people do not consider their ability to balance until after a fall. Preventing a fall is not as hard as you think! A regular regime to exercise your balance system is what is needed.
If you have recently suffered a fall and been injured, it is important to contact our physical therapy team at Progressive Medical Fitness in Northport today prevent future falls and injuries.
It is important to note that you should also contact a physical therapist if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Dizziness or “spinning” sensations (vertigo), even when motionless
- Inability to remain alert or focus
- Double vision or tunnel vision
- Nausea or vomiting
- Weakness of the arms or legs
- Abnormal eye movements
- Difficulty standing up from a seated position
- Standing for extended periods of time
Do you stumble while walking? Do you notice dizziness feel unstabilized while walking or standing from a seated position? Have you fallen before and been injured? Do you worry that you may fall and be injured during normal daily activity. IF you have these, or other balance-related concerns, contact Progressive Medical Fitness today so we can identify and treat any underlying conditions and alleviate your worry.
Am I at risk of a fall-related injury?
Some adults have a higher risk of falling than others. Risk factors to consider include:
- Age 65 or older
- Being female
- A more sedentary lifestyle
- A history of falls
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Problems with walking or maintaining your balance
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Arthritis or other joint pain
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Previous stroke or heart attack
- Problems with vision
- Fatigue
- Overall poor health
- Taking certain medications
Our Progressive Medical Fitness physical therapy team will evaluate your medical history to determine the risk factors that apply to you. They will provide education on your set of risk factors, as well as provide a plan to decrease your risk. Finally, your physical therapist will conduct a comprehensive physical assessment to create a personalized fall-prevention treatment plan.
Physical therapy can reduce the risk of falling
In general, the more risk factors a person has, the higher their risk of a fall. A systemic review for the US Preventative Services Task Force, found that exercise and physical therapy reduced the risk of falls by 13%. The author concludes “exercise, particularly exercise that targets strength, gait, and balance has been found to reduce fall risk, falls, the rate of falls and death” (Curr Trauma Rep. 2017 Jun; 3(2): 118–123. Published online 2017 Apr 28. doi: 10.1007/s40719-017-0087-x ).
Your certified physical therapist at Progressive Medical Fitness will conduct a comprehensive physical evaluation to determine which risk factors apply specifically to you. These may include vision tests, neurological tests, resting and active heart rate checks, as well as assessment of your balance, gait, range of motion, and strength.
Based on your assessment, your physical therapist will create a targeted, personalized treatment plan. The primary aim is to reduce your risk of falling by improving your overall mobility while focusing on balance, strength, flexibility and endurance.
Your personalized treatment plan may include:
- Pain management. First, we will address any pain you may be feeling. Your comfort during treatment is the of the utmost importance to your physical therapist, and an important key to your continued treatment. By reducing or eliminating pain in the first stage of physical therapy, you will then be able to tackle other forms of physical activity that may bring you discomfort.
- Balance training. Balance is a key aspect of fall prevention, as instability is one of the primary causes of falls. Your physical therapist will design a personalized balance -improving activity plan as part of your treatment. For example, keeping your balance while standing on one leg or holding your balance while performing a task that requires mental focus (such as reciting the alphabet or reading a page from a book.)
- Strength training. Strength training is a natural part of your balance training. Your physical therapist will design a personalized strength training plan, which will focus on the muscle groups that were identified as needing development. Increasing the strength of your muscle groups will improve your balance while standing and walking. Increased muscle strength will also improve your ability to regain your balance after a moment of instability.
- Walking and mobility programs. The focus of this portion of your treatment plan is to restore normal physical function while walking and/or moving about. Your physical therapist may ask you to accomplish targeted mobility activities, ranging from walking in a circle to completing an obstacle course.
- Endurance training. Our goal is to advance your treatment at a pace that is right for you. Together, we will work on your endurance to advance your level of mobility. Your physical therapist will design an aerobic exercise program for the level you are at now and then slowly add time to those exercises as you achieve greater endurance. Your endurance training will be personalized to your fitness level and may begin at 10-minute sessions before progressing to 30-minute sessions.
Are you ready to get back on your feet without the worry of a fall? Contact Progressive Medical Fitness to get on the path to physical independence today!