How is your balance? Have you checked it lately? Poor balance and coordination is the number one cause of trips, falls, and injuries. It even greatly affects back pain and posture. You don’t have to be old to have non-optimum balance. In fact, a majority of sports injuries are attributed to not having the right balance reflexes needed to adapt to the surface, causing sprains, strains and other injuries.
The Training Room Bulletin The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Setting You Up for an BALANCE INJ Is Your Lack of
Don’t Miss Out on All the Fun This Summer! Call The Training Room today to schedule your Mid-Summer Check In! Your therapist can help you get up and moving, and back to having fun!
The Training Room Bulletin The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Proper Balance & Pain-Free Living
their balance in the shower. No matter what your age, balance affects your ability to be active 5 Reasons for Our Decline in Balance: 1.Changes in our vestibular system 2.Changes in muscle mass, flexibility and strength 3.Changes in eyesight 4.Diminishing reflexes 5.Previous injuries to ankle, knee, hip or spinal joints Can You Do This? • Stand next to a counter, sink or chair barefoot with your hand gently
How is your balance? Have you checked it lately? Poor balance and coordination is the number one cause of trips, falls, and injuries. It even greatly affects back pain and posture. You don’t have to be old to have non-optimum balance. In fact, a majority of sports injuries are attributed to not having the right balance reflexes needed to adapt to the surface, causing sprains, strains and other injuries. In addition to other important functions, our balance and vestibular system gives us the ability to walk on two legs, run and be active. Our balance and vestibular system develop as we grow from a baby all the way through adulthood, and then begins to decline. Most people don’t know their balance is not optimum until they suffer an injury, trip and fall, or lose
grasping the counter surface. • Put one foot directly in front of the other, so that one heel is touching the opposite toes. • Gently lift your hand up, but keep it close to the counter in case you need to grab it quickly. Try to hold this for 10 seconds (only do this if you feel safe or have someone nearby to help you). • Now try it with your eyes closed. • Do you wobble a lot or even lose your balance? If your answer is “yes,” your balance needs work! Want to strengthen your balance as well as your game? Call The Training Room today to schedule an evaluation.
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Balance Affects Sports Performance The more aggressive you are in sports, the better your balance and reflexes have to be. Many ankle, knee, hip and back injuries in running, tennis and other sports are attributed to poorly performing balance. By incorporating simple balance exercises into your workout routine, you can set yourself up for success and prevent injuries, as well as
The good news is that most falls can easily be prevented, simply by the regular exercising of your balance system. What You Can Do to Improve Your Balance You can improve your balance, and it involves performing simple balance exercises.The first step in preventing an injury or fall is testing your balance and being honest with yourself that your balance needs work. Our physical therapists can make a big difference in improving your balance and vestibular system, improving your ability to be active, safely. You can get back on your feet in no time. One of our dedicated physical therapists will first conduct a comprehensive physical evaluation to examine your balance, gait, stance, symptoms, and medical history. From there, a personalized treatment plan will be created for your specific needs, which may include vestibular rehabilitation, gait retraining exercises, strengthening exercises, and stretches.
enhance your sports performance. Balance Affects Back Pain
How you walk directly impacts your back and can actually be a big contributor to back pain. By improving balance, coordination and strength in your hips, pelvis and legs, your spine will be supported and guided, reducing strain. This in turn, helps your back function normally without aggravation and inflammation. Balance activities are an important component of our SPINE Program for relieving back pain. Most Falls Can Be Prevented According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), over 2.5 million adults were treated for nonfatal injuries in emergency departments in 2013. In older adults, falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries. Most people don’t think about keeping their balance in shape, until it istoo lateandtheyfall,fracturinganarm, legor injuringtheirback.
PATIENT SPOTLIGHT
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
“Lauren and I were lucky enough to get married in Cape May on June 1. Having everyone important in your life share a day like that with you is truly incredible. Especially when you share it with your TTR family! And it also doesn’t hurt to have an amazing vacation in Mexico waiting for you afterwards. Swimming with whale sharks was a bucket list item and it did not disappoint!” Congratulations to Ryan Wolff & Lauren, His Bride!
“Anne has been my PTfor the last 2 months or so as I had needed training in balance and stability. I’ve noticed a marked improvement in both areas so far: I can walk without depending on a walker or grocery cart anywhere I want to walk. While I still need additional therapy, I am very happy with the progress I have made. I fully anticipate walking with total confidence in the near future.” – J. H. “I can walk without depending on a walker or grocery cart anywhere I want to walk.”
HOME SAFETY: MYTHOR REALITY? MYTH • Homes are the safest place to be. • Making my home safer will cost too much. • Home modifications will make my home look like a hospital. • Rentersarenotallowedtomakechanges to their homes. REALITY • Homes can containmany safety hazards that, if not addressed, could cause a fall. • Many changes are inexpensive and easy, such as changing lighting and removing rugs. • There are many products designed to blend in with your home’s style and décor. • Under the Fair Housing Amendments Act, landlords must allow reasonable home modification requests. Stairs: Put a lamp within easy reach by the bed Make sure there is sufficient light along the path from the bedroom to the bathroom Consider sitting down when dressing Lighting: Place nightlights in hallways, bedrooms, bathrooms, stairways, etc. Install light switches at the top and bottom of stairs Add lighting to dark spaces within your home
Be Balanced, Be Active, BE WELL
At any age, there are many things to consider and stay on top of to stay healthy and active. As we age, these considerations can change and some become even more important. Despite our best efforts, we tend to accumulate medications which can have side effects and interactions that can make you feel dizzy or light-headed, which can increase your risk of falling. Also despite our best efforts, vision changes occur as a natural part of aging, and if you can’t see correctly, especially in low light, you can’t avoid tripping over an object that might be in your way. Joint pain can also affect many aspects of your well-being that directly affect your ability to balance. When there is pain, getting in your daily physical activity and exercise becomes harder, which can lead to weaknesses in important muscle groups, which correlates with an increased risk of falling. Joint pain itself can also lead to difficulties with walking and balancing, two more things correlated with increased risk of falling. The good news is that there lots of things you can do to mitigate the negative effects of these normal effects of aging. For starters, you can see your primary care provider regularly to discuss your medication and any vision changes you might be noticing. But, Floors and Rugs: Arrange furniture so there are clear walking pathways Remove clutter and wires/cords running along the floor Make sure all floor boards are even and rugs are secured to the floor Bathroom: Make sure you can get into and out of the tub or shower easily Place non-slip strips in tub or shower
to address many of the things that become important to consider as we age, see your PT! PTs are well-versed in assessing your risk for falls and can provide you with individualized plans to get you back to being balanced, active, and well. Whether it’s going over ways to make your home safer, designing a good program to address any weaknesses, addressing any joint pain you may have, or directly helping you with your balance, your PT can help you get back to living the life you want to live! Mid-Summer Check In! Are youmissing out on fun summer activities because you worry that your lack of balance might make you fall? Stuck in a beach chair this summer as you watch all the fun activities – all because of your pain, swelling, or stiffness? Your balance can be restored! Call The Training Room today to schedule your Mid-Summer Check In! Your therapist can help you get up and moving, and back to having fun this summer!
FALL PREVENTION CHECKLIST
Mount grab bars at toilet, bath, and shower Kitchen: Place heavier and frequently used items within easy reach Make sure you have a sturdy stepladder with a safety bar at the top to hold on to Bedrooms: Put a lamp within easy reach by the bed Make sure there is sufficient light along the path from the bedroom to the bathroom Consider sitting down when dressing
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