HOW WILL PHYSICAL THERAPY HELP REDUCE MY FALL RISK?
A recentlypublishedsystematic reviewbyCochrane,comprisedofover100 randomized controlled trials,supportsexercise interventionsasaneffective treatmentmethod for patients with an increased risk of falling. The average age of patients in this review was 76, and 77% of the patients were women. Results concluded that those who participated in exercise interventions had a 23% decrease in falls as compared to the control group. Fall risk was also reduced at 21-24%, depending on if treatments were done in individual or group settings. The risk of fall-related fractures was decreased by 27% and the number of falls that required medical attention was decreased by 39%. Concluding statements from the authors demonstrated how overall, “Exercise reduces both the rate of falls…and the number of people experiencing falls.” At Ellis PhysicalTherapy, your initial physical evaluation may consist of several parts to better determine what your most problematic factors are. These may include vision tests, thinking tests, resting heart rate checks, active heart rate checks, and evaluations of your gait, balance, range of motion, and strength. Basedon the resultsof thisevaluation,yourphysical therapistwilldesigna treatment planaroundyourspecificneeds.Theseplansareaimedfirstand foremostat reducing your risk of falling, but they will also aid you in improving balance, strength, flexibility, endurance, and overall movement. Some common forms of treatment include: • Pain management. If you are feeling painful anywhere, it will be one of the first things addressed in your treatment plan. Your physical therapist will want to make sure that your treatment is as comfortable as possible, so you will work together on relieving pain first, before continuing into any other forms of physical activity that may bring you discomfort. • Walking and moving programs. Thispartofyour treatmentplan isaimedatgetting youback toyournormalphysical functionwhenwalkingand/ormoving.Yourphysical therapist may ask you to perform certain activities, such as walking in a circle or completing an obstacle course. • Balance training. Balance is a largepart of fall prevention, as lackof stability is one of the main reasons why falls occur. Your physical therapist will design a balance training plan for you as part of your treatment, and may ask you to perform certain
balance-basedactivities, such as standing on one leg or holding your balancewhile performing a mentally-stimulating task (such as reciting the alphabet or reading a page from a book.) • Strength training. Strength training is typically paired with your balance training. Your physical therapist will design a strength training plan for you, which will focus on specific muscle groups in need of improvement. The goal of this will be to improve your standing and walking balance, as well as your ability to recover from a loss of balance. • Endurance training. Endurance training is all about working up to more advanced levels of the same form of treatment. Your physical therapist will provide you with an aerobic exercise program and will slowly add on time to those exercises as your endurance improves.For example, your endurance training may begin at 10-minute sessions and then may progress to 30-minute sessions. Areyou ready togetbackonyour feetby improvingyourbalanceanddecreasingyour risk of sustaining a fall-related injury? Contact Ellis PhysicalTherapy to schedule a consultation and get started today!
Call us today at 208-523-8879 to schedule an appointment!
Exercise Essentials Flexibility, strength, and stability are needed to keep you loose and pain-free... Not all exercises are appropriate for every person. Please consult with a healthcare provider before starting.
Improves Balance
Improves Balance Alternating Step Touch Stand “tall”, with sturdy step stool positioned in front. Step one foot at a time onto the stool. Alternate legs.
Tandem Walk - Wall Stand with the fingertips of one, or both, hands resting on a wall. Place the feet ‘heel to toe’ with the left foot forward. Steady yourself
in this position. Step forward with the right foot, placing the heel directly in front of, and touching, the toes of the left foot. Step forward with the left foot, placing the heel directly in front of, and touching, the toes of the right foot. Repeat this sequence, moving forward down the hallway. Reverse direction, moving backward down the hallway.
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