 September is Fall Prevention Month — a crucial time to raise awareness about one of the leading causes of injury in older adults. Every year, 1 in 4 people over age 65 experiences a fall, and unfortunately, 1 in 5 of those falls results in serious injuries like broken bones or head trauma.
While falls are common in older adults, they are not an inevitable part of aging. Research shows that simple changes and targeted exercises can significantly reduce your risk of falling. Lower Body Strength is Critical Your legs are your foundation for stability. As we age, muscle mass naturally declines without regular resistance training, leading to lower body weakness and an increased risk of falls. Effective Lower Body Strengthening Activities:
Balance Training: Use It or Lose It Balance is like any other skill—it requires practice to maintain and improve. Challenging your balance with simple exercises can make a real difference in preventing falls. Simple Balance Exercises to Try Start with these basics, using a sturdy chair or counter for support if needed:
Creating a Safer Home Environment Many falls happen at home, but small environmental changes can make a huge difference in your safety.
Don’t Forget About Vision & Medications Your eyes and medications play a big role in balance too. Don’t overlook these important factors:
When to See a Physical Therapist If you’ve noticed more unsteadiness or have experienced a fall in the past, a physical therapist can help by:
Bottom Line: Falls are common but don’t have to be part of aging. By strengthening your legs, practicing balance, and making your home safer, you can reduce your risk and stay active. This Fall Prevention Month, take one small step toward better balance—you’ll be glad you did.
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 Dizziness is a common problem affecting between 15% and 20% of people each year. It significantly impacts daily life, causing feelings of unsteadiness, lightheadedness, or sensations of the room spinning. These symptoms can be alarming and significantly hinder the ability to complete even basic tasks. The good news is that dizziness often has treatable causes. The fact that physical therapists can be a key player in treating dizziness surprises many people.
Understanding dizziness: Dizziness isn't a specific disease but a symptom with various origins. Inner ear issues are a frequent culprit, but vision problems, neck or muscle issues, migraines, blood pressure changes, head injuries, and neurological problems can also contribute. What do physical therapists have to do with dizziness? PTs are known as movement and musculoskeletal experts, but they also frequently treat balance problems. That's how they play a role in treating dizziness. Balance relies on a complex interplay between the inner ear, vision, and sensory input from your joints. When this information becomes conflicting, the brain struggles to interpret it, leading to a feeling of dizziness or vertigo. Physical therapists assess all these systems to pinpoint the underlying cause of dizziness. This tailored approach leads to an effective treatment plan. That plan might include: ● Exercises: These might be designed to improve balance, strengthen specific muscles, or retrain the brain to process sensory information correctly. This could involve gaze stabilization exercises to help the brain and vision work together, habituation exercises to desensitize the brain to specific triggers, and balance training on various surfaces. ● Canalith Repositioning Maneuvers (CRM): If benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the culprit, specific maneuvers can reposition tiny crystals within the ear canal, alleviating vertigo. Patients are also often taught to perform these maneuvers at home. ● Education: PTs teach people about strategies to manage dizziness and exercises they can independently perform. Additionally, therapists can help modify activities that trigger dizziness or teach ways to work through them. Dizziness can stop people in their tracks. However, physical therapists offer effective treatment options to get people moving again. PT helps people regain balance, perform daily activities confidently, and reduce fall risk.  Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, balance, speech, and cognition. According to the Parkinson's Foundation, about one million Americans live with PD, and more than 10 million people worldwide are diagnosed with it. While there is no cure for PD, physical therapy can help people manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Physical therapy can help people with PD: • Maintain or improve their mobility, strength, flexibility, and balance • Reduce their risk of falls and injuries • Enhance their confidence and independence in daily activities • Learn strategies to cope with the challenges of living with PD Physical therapists are experts in movement and function. They use exercise, and hands on techniques to improve strength, coordination and range of motion. Physical therapists also use exercise and activities to challenge and improve the balance of people with Parkinson's Disease. In addition, they can also provide education, guidance, and support for people with PD and their caregivers. Physical therapy for people with Parkinson's Disease is heavily researched and has been shown to be an effective intervention. One meta-study (a study that combines the results of many other studies) that covered 1827 participants found that when compared to no intervention PT significantly improved: • gait speed • two- and six-minute walk test scores • Freezing of Gait questionnaire • the Timed Up & Go test • Functional Reach Test • and the Berg Balance Scale These results indicate improvements in mobility, endurance, strength, and balance. Gait speed is an especially important measurement. Physical therapists often consider gait speed a "vital sign." This is because low gait speed has been linked to: • declines in functional mobility • higher rates of hospitalization • higher fall rates • cognitive decline • increased disability • and higher risk of death A larger meta study that included 191 studies with 7998 participants found that PT significantly improved motor symptoms, gait, and quality of life. Specifically: • Resistance and treadmill training improved gait. • Strategy training improved balance and gait. • Dance, Nordic walking, balance and gait training, and martial arts improved motor symptoms, balance, and gait. Physical therapy can be beneficial at any stage of PD, from the time of diagnosis to the advanced stages. It is a valuable treatment option for people with PD, as it can help to improve or maintain their physical function, mobility, and independence. Physical therapy can also enhance their quality of life, confidence, and well-being. If you or someone you know has PD, talk to your doctor about getting a referral to a physical therapist.  You know that physical activity is good for you. The benefits are well researched and the list is impressive. Here's just a sampling:
● Releases endorphins to make you feel good and fight depression ● Helps control weight ● Prevents diseases like stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer ● Improves sleep ● Helps you live longer Recent studies even show that physical activity strengthens your immune system, with a protective effect against COVID, and that staying active through middle age protects your brain as you age. Physical activity is a wonder drug. If it was a pill, you'd buy it and take it every day. But even though activity is free, less than 25% of Americans meet the CDC recommendations for activity. We clearly need help. Physical Therapists Are The Experts in Human Movement To be active, you need to be able to move. Physical Therapists do more than help you recover from surgeries or major injuries. We are the experts in human movement. Sure, you could see a strength coach to lift weights, hire a personal trainer, go to a yoga class to work on your flexibility and balance, and see a chiropractor for adjustments. But that seems like a lot of people when a PT can help you with all of these things and more. Nobody knows more about human movement or looks at your health the same way a PT does. We can help you with every aspect of movement including strength, range of motion, flexibility, endurance, balance and coordination. As medical professionals we can help you with injuries or other issues. Your PT can work with your doctor to help use activity to manage things like diabetes, cholesterol levels or blood pressure instead of prescriptions. We are also trained to work with people of all ages, so you can develop a long-term relationship and we can continue to adjust and modify your routine as you age or your goals change. Stay Healthy For Life Staying active has a long list of benefits both now and in the future. But chances are you're not moving enough to make the most of those benefits. Most people need help. Physical therapists are the most qualified professional in existence to help keep you moving and healthy now and in the future. So don't only think of your PT as someone you see when you need help with pain or an injury. Think of us as your partner and coach working to help you keep moving and stay healthy for life. |
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