Focused, One-on-One Physical Therapy Treatment
Fall Prevention Education
Improve Body Function. Regulate Posture.
Fall prevention education is a vital part of keeping people of all ages safe. Falling can cause serious injuries and the risks are higher for those over the age of 65. By continually practicing balance training exercises, at-risk folks can mitigate the consequences of falling as well as stay healthy and agile.
What Is Fall Prevention Education?
Fall prevention is a therapeutic practice that aims to reduce the number of falls or related accidents for susceptible individuals. It is by definition any action taken to avoid injuries from falling, which can include broken bones and head injuries. Optimizing physical therapy strategies from health experts can help patients to manage and train their brain-body-muscle connection.
What Are the Risks of Falling?
The risks of falling can range from minor to major. The force from hitting the ground can cause hip fractures, broken bones, and bruising. In severe cases, head injuries could occur and cause neurological damage or cause bleeding. The risk for bruising and bleeding also increases if patients take blood thinners.
Who Is Fall Prevention Education For?
While some patients may be more at risk for severe complications from falling, fall prevention education is for everyone. Each of us needs to incorporate balance exercises to maintain our agility through all of our daily life activities. Some could benefit from fall prevention education more than others, however, including:
What Are the Benefits of Fall Prevention Education?
The benefits of fall prevention include improving core balance and reducing the risk of any severe falls resulting in broken bones or head injuries. Not only can fall prevention reduce risk but it can also improve overall strength and agility for everyday tasks, such as bending over to pick up a dropped item, walking up or down stairs, or standing for a long period of time. By staying aware of fall prevention education practices, you can work on improving your long-term balance and increase your confidence when faced with a falling scenario.
What Fall Prevention Exercises Are There?
Fall prevention exercises are just a small step on the way to increasing coordination and reaction time. If you incorporate these practices into your routine, over time you will improve joint support, maximize your workouts, and lower the risk of severe injuries.
Sit and Stand Exercise
Sit-to-stand exercises work by practicing standing up without using your arms to push you up from the chair. This can be an excellent way to practice your balance and leg strength to help avoid falls in the future.
Heel-Toe Stand
Heel-toe standing can practice balancing on the ball of your feet as well as your toes. Simply shift the weight from the back of your feet to the front of your toes back and forth and hold in each position.
Side Twist With One Leg
Side twisting with one leg at a time can also activate your core and leg balance. Practicing poses where you move one leg up at a time and hold the pose can help to prevent falling by improving spinal flexibility and relieving stress in the back and shoulders.
Balance on One Leg
Standing on one leg at a time can strengthen the individual balance of each side of your legs. This exercise helps activate your hip flexors to improve stability. By increasing hip stability, there is a smaller chance you will fall.
Back Leg Raise
Back leg raises can activate your leg and glute muscles. The more you consistently lean back and raise your legs, the easier it will be to mitigate a fall in the future with improved reaction time.
