Fall Prevention: Strengthen Your Body, Balance Your Life

As the leaves change and the temperatures drop, it's important to take steps to prevent falls, especially for older adults. Falls can lead to serious injuries, such as broken bones and head trauma. Fortunately, physical therapy can play a crucial role in improving your strength and balance, reducing your risk of falls.

Why Falls Happen

Several factors can contribute to falls, including:

• Muscle weakness: As we age, our muscles naturally lose strength, making it more difficult to maintain balance. Oftentimes, older adults are not as active as they once were, and muscles can tend to atrophy which means that they get smaller. Prolonged sitting can then lead to tightness in the front of the hips and weakness in the backs of the hips. The glute muscles on the backs of the hips are one of the most important muscle groups for maintaining balance. 
• Poor balance: Reduced balance can lead to tripping or stumbling, especially on uneven surfaces. One easy test to try at home is to stand on one leg for as long as you can. If you can hold balance for 10 seconds, you are in a low fall risk category. However, if it is less than 3, you are in a high risk category. This makes sense because every time we walk, we stand on one leg for a short amount of time. If we are able to maintain that single leg balance, then walking will be less difficult and balance will become easier. 
• Vision problems: Impaired vision can make it challenging to navigate your surroundings and avoid obstacles. Depth perception can also affect balance and cause it to be more challenging to go up and down curbs or climb stairs. It is important to see an eye doctor regularly as vision also changes as we age. Cataracts and glaucoma are 2 things that can cause blurred vision that the eye doctor will check at your visit. 
• Medications: Certain medications can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or drowsiness, increasing the risk of falls. It is important to have medications frequently analyzed by either your primary care provider or a pharmacist. This could help prevent falls looking at medication interactions. Also, talk to your doctor if you are increasing a dosage of medication and begin to feel increased dizziness or lightheadedness. 
• Medical conditions: Health conditions such as arthritis, stroke, or Parkinson's disease can affect balance and mobility. These conditions often affect one side of the body more than the other, making it challenging to maintain equilibrium and walk without difficulty. This asymmetry can increase the risk of falls, as the body's weight distribution is uneven, and the ability to compensate for instability is compromised.

How Physical Therapy Can Help

Doctors of Physical Therapy at Agapé Physical Therapy can provide a comprehensive program to improve strength, balance, and overall functional ability. Here's how it can help reduce your risk of falls:

• Strength training: Physical therapists can design targeted exercises to strengthen the muscles in your legs, core, and upper body, improving your stability and reducing the risk of falls.
• Balance exercises: Balance training helps to improve your body's ability to maintain equilibrium, even on uneven surfaces. This can involve activities such as standing on one leg, walking on a small balance beam, or using a balance board for ankle strengthening. 
• Functional training: Functional exercises mimic everyday activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, or getting in and out of a chair. This helps to improve your overall mobility and reduce the risk of falls in real-world situations.
• Fall risk assessment: Physical therapists can assess your individual fall risk and identify areas where you may need to improve. 
• Home safety evaluation: Your physical therapist can provide guidance on making your home safer, including removing tripping hazards like rugs and installing grab bars.

Take Action Today

Don't wait until a fall occurs to take preventative measures. Physical therapy can help you improve your strength, balance, and overall well-being, reducing your risk of falls and enhancing your quality of life.

Schedule Your Appointment

To learn more about how physical therapy can help you prevent falls, contact Agapé Physical Therapy at one of our six Rochester locations. Our experienced therapists are dedicated to providing personalized care tailored to your individual needs. Schedule a visit to Agapé Physical Therapy today!