HEALTH & WELLNESS Our Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body
PREVENTING FALLS WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY Have you noticed you don’t seem quite as steady on your feet? Do you find yourself avoiding your favorite activities out of fear of falling? While falls are a frightening prospect, physical therapy can help! At Reddy Care Physical, Occupational, & Aquatic Therapy, our movement specialists will help you figure out why your balance is off and, more importantly, how to get it back! Although balance and instability issues can affect anyone, our risk increases as we age. According to the CDC, about one in four adults age 65 and older report falling each year, even if they don’t necessarily live with an obvious balance, gait, or vestibular (inner ear) disorder. Fortunately, physical therapy offers several solutions for reducing your fall risk. Our physical therapists can assess you for any physical limitations and work with you to resolve them through dedicated balance and strengthening exercises. If you’ve noticed issues with your balance, contact Reddy Care Physical, Occupational, & Aquatic Therapy today! WHAT ARE THE MAIN CAUSES OF FALLING? Falls are more common among older adults due to the physical, cognitive, and sensory changes that accompany aging. Several factors can weaken your balance and instability, leading to increased fall risk, including the following: • Loss of muscle mass, particularly in your core and lower extremities • Changes in vision, hearing, and reflexes • Long-term health conditions like heart disease or dementia • Neurological disorders like Parkinson’s or MS Another major source of increased fall risk is vestibular disorders. Your vestibular system, located in your inner ear and parts of your brain, controls your body’s sense of balance. Certain conditions, such as BPPV (benign
paroxysmal positional vertigo) or Meniére’s disease, can cause vertigo and instability, leading to falls. While people of any age can develop vestibular disorders, the most common ones tend to affect older adults. The following symptoms can indicate a vestibular disorder:
• Vertigo • Dizziness or unsteadiness • Double vision or tunnel vision • Nausea or vomiting • Abnormal eye movements
If you struggle to stay balanced, our team of physical therapists can help you dig down to the root cause so we can provide you with a customized plan that suits your needs. The good news is that physical therapy offers several techniques for addressing balance issues–you just need to make an appointment to get started!
Click here to visit our website to schedule your appointment today! WWW.REDDYCARE.NET
WWW.REDDYCARE.NET
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