KerrvillePT: Is Balance Setting Things Up For An Injury?

Health & Wellness Newsletter by Kerrville Physical Therapy Center

Health & Wellness

December, 2019

NEWSLETTER

ENJOY IMPROVED BALANCE DURING THE HOLIDAYS

• Abnormal eye movements. • Difficulty standing up from a seated position or standing for prolonged periods of time. Are you worried that you may be at risk of sustaining a fall-related injury? If so, contact Kerrville Physical Therapy Center today so we can help you figure out the root of your problem and treat it accordingly. Am I at risk of falling? Some people have a higher risk of falling than others. Certain risk

Did you know that 1/3 of the population over 65 falls each year? Every 11 seconds, an older adult is rushed to the emergency room for a fall. Every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. 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 is too late and they suffer a harsh fall. The good news is that most falls can easily be prevented, simply by the regular exercising of your balance system. If you have recently sustained a balance-related injury, it is important to seek the help of a physical therapist immediately, in order to avoid additional injuries in the future. It is important to note that you should also contact a physical therapist if you have any of the following symptoms: • Dizziness or vertigo (“spinning” sensations, even when remaining still).

factors include: • Advanced age. • Being female.

• Living a sedentary life. • Previous history of falls. • Vertigo or dizziness.

Your physical therapist will assess your medical history to determine how many risk factors toward falling you may have. They will educate you on what these factors mean, as well as steps you can take to decrease your risk. After this, they will perform a thorough physical evaluation to figure out what the best treatment plan for you will be.

• Inability to focus or remain alert. • Double vision or tunnel vision.

• Nausea or vomiting. • Arm or leg weakness.

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How Will Physical Therapy HELP REDUCE MY FALL RISK?

A recently published systematic review by Cochrane, comprised of over 100 randomized controlled trials, supports exercise interventions as an effective treatment method 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.” Based on the results of this evaluation, your physical therapist will design a treatment plan around your specific needs. These plans are aimed first and foremost at 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. 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. Your physical therapist may ask you to perform certain activities, such as walking in a circle or completing an obstacle course. • Balance training. Balance is a large part of fall prevention, as lack of 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. • Strength 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. 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 thenmay progress to 30-minute sessions. Are you ready to get back on your feet by improving your balance and decreasing your risk of sustaining a fall-related injury? Contact Kerrville Physical Therapy Center to schedule a consultation and get started today!

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Patient Success Spotlight Friendliness of the staff starts when you enter the front door!

“I can only hope more people and facilities can develop the atmosphere that the people at Kerrville Physical Therapy has. I have received PT at other facilities, and always experience of being on my own after the first day of introduction. At Kerrville, you are a customer and someone is always with you to ensure you are doing the exercise

properly etc. Professionalism is above any PT clinic I have experienced and is reflected in the overall treatment plan they develop. Friendliness of the staff starts when you enter the front door and lasts long after treatment. They expected me to work for my results. But the results have improved my life and I can not express enough gratitude for their assistance on reaching this goal.” - Dean S.

FREE PHYSICAL THERAPY ANALYSIS

To THANK YOU for choosing our physical therapy practice, we are offering a FREE Physical Therapy Analysis! Limited to the first 25 patients to call. SCHEDULE YOUR FREE ANALYSIS BY CALLING 830-896-7377 TODAY! EXPIRES 12-28-19

Have A Happy Holiday!

HAVE YOU MET YOUR ANNUAL INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE?

Orange Cranberry Bread Patients with family plans or those who have had major surgeries or have a chronic illness are especially likely to have a $0 balance remaining on their out-of-pocket expenses. This means that the cost of physical therapy INGREDIENTS • 2 cups white whole wheat flour • 1/2 cup sugar An insurance deductible is the amount of money that you must pay before your insurance company pays for your medical services. If your deductible is met, your Physical Therapy may not cost you anything.

could be minimal or completely covered by the patient’s insurance plan. If you are close to or have met your insurance deductible for the year, then now is the time to come in for Physical Therapy! Are you feeling aches and pains? Need to work on your core? Let us help you get a head start for 2020. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.

• 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 cup fresh cranberries • 1 teaspoon orange zest • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice • 1 egg

DIRECTIONS Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, add white whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cranberries, and orange zest. Gently stir. In a separate medium-sized bowl, add coconut oil, fresh orange juice, and an egg. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir to combine everything together. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

www.joyfulhealthyeats.com/moist-orange-cranberry-bread

Exercise Essentials Try these exercises to keep you moving...

TANDEM WALK - WALL Standwith 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. Helps Balance

Exercises copyright of

www.simpleset.net

SINGLE LEG STANCE - FORWARD Stand on one leg and maintain your balance. Next, hold your leg out in front of your body. Then return to original position. Maintain a slightly bent knee on the stance side. Improves Balance

The above exercises are designed to be performed under the instruction of a licensed physical therapist.

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