Did you know one in four Americans who are over 65 years old fall each year? According to the CDC, one out of five falls results in a significant head injury. Experiencing a fall once doubles the risk of falling again. These falls are one of the leading causes of concussions in older adults. If you are feeling off-balance, physical therapy can help keep you safe.
A concussion can be defined as “a traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth.” This type of injury creates chemical changes in the brain and can cause damage to brain cells. Some of the symptoms of a concussion are headaches, confusion, and balance issues.
How Falls Occur
For some older adults, experiencing falls can be due to a lack of balance and gait disorders. When you have trouble balancing it can cause you to be uneasy on your feet and fall. Muscle loss in the legs due to lack of exercise and deconditioning is also one of the main causes of falls in adults 65 and older.
Improving balance and building strength in older adults through physical therapy can help prevent the likelihood of falls from occurring.
4 Physical Therapy Methods to Help Prevent Falls in Older Adults
Strengthening Exercises
Building strength through exercising can improve balance. Core muscles have a direct link to balance, making strengthening these muscles important. The inner core muscles stabilize your spine and the outer core muscles provide the strength to move around. A physical therapist can help you figure out which type of core exercises will benefit your balance issues.
Stretching
Stretching can help increase the range of motion in muscles and correct muscle imbalances. These both affect your balance. Bettering your muscle’s range of motion allows you to move with ease, lessening the chance of a fall. When muscle imbalances are corrected, you will have a more aligned balance.
Vestibular Rehabilitation
Physical therapists can provide vestibular rehabilitation that focuses on refining your vision, nerves, muscles, and vestibular system to fix your balance issues. Vestibular conditions that are commonly treated with this type of therapy are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis, and motion sensitivity which can all lead to balance issues.
Gait Retraining Exercises
Irregularities in gait can be altered through retraining techniques. Helping seniors practice a loss of balance, while safely under the care and control of their physical therapist, can help them learn how to quickly recover the momentary balance loss to prevent the inevitable fall. Examples of retraining techniques are treadmill exercises, side-stepping exercises, and backward walking.
Prepare Now to Stop Falls Before They Happen
If you or a loved one are feeling off-balance, taking proactive steps now can have a huge impact on safety in the future. Take action today by contacting Bay State Physical Therapy!
To learn more, call your nearest Bay State Physical Therapy location or complete the form below to request an appointment.
Resources:
