Falls and a fear of falling can effect your ability to lead a full and independent life. Studies show that 1 in every 4 older adults falls each year. Don’t fret, you can reduce your fall risk.
Your physical therapist can help you reduce your fall risk by:
Assessing your risk for falling
Designing an individualized plan to address your fall-prevention needs
Helping you make your home as safe as possible
Providing you with appropriate exercises and balance training to address deficits and improve safety with movement
There are lots of factors that can increase your risk for falls, including:
History of a previous fall
Having a sedentary lifestyle
Difficulty with walking or keeping your balance
Leg weakness
Becoming fatigued easily
Medical conditions such as diabetes, stroke, Parkinson disease and other neurological conditions effecting motor function
Joint pain or arthritis
Inappropriate footwear
Inappropriate use of a walker or another assistive device
What Can I Expect From My Physical Therapist?
Your physical therapist can assess your fall risk and perform a thorough evaluation which may include:
Review of your medical history
Review of your medications
Home safety assessment
Check of your heart rate and blood pressure measurements at rest and while you change positions
Foot and footwear assessment
Balance, strength, and walking ability assessments
Based on the evaluation results, your physical therapist will design a plan that is tailored to address your deficits. Your treatment plan may include:
Balance training. Balance training has been shown to be an important and effective part of falls prevention. Your physical therapist will design exercises that challenge your ability to keep your balance as well as recover from a loss of balance. A walking program may also be incorporated to improve your safety with ambulation.
Strength training. Strength training is very effective in preventing falls, especially when combined with balance exercises. Your physical therapist will design an individualized strengthening program that focuses on specific muscle groups to help improve your standing balance, your balance while walking, and your ability to recover from a loss of balance. Aerobic exercises will be added as tolerated to assist with building activity tolerance for the completion of daily activities.