Falls are an unfortunate reality, especially among older individuals. In fact, roughly 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 65 will suffer a fall this year. For some, this may only result in a bruised ego, but for others, it can be a life-altering event. For individuals at a high-risk for falls, or for those suffering from balance issues, physical therapy can be just what they need to help them remain upright. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at all the ways physical therapy can identify the underlying cause of a balance issue.
Balance Problems and Physical Therapy
Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in an emergency room for a fall. And even when balance issues aren’t causing injuries and falls, they could be limiting your quality of life. Senior citizens may shy away from certain activities out of fear of a fall, and that’s no way to go through life. Don’t let balance problems negatively impact your quality of life.
Instead, consider reaching out to a physical therapist. We have helped countless patients regain confidence in their mobility and improve their balance, and we can do the same for you. The process begins by a physical assessment to understand what’s causing your balance issues in the first place. For some, their balance problems could be traced back to an inner ear issue. For others, muscle or joint weakness caused by an injury or osteoarthritis could be impacting their movements and balance. Finally, there’s the possibility that your balance problems are caused by nerve or sensation issues. A physical assessment can help your physical therapist get a better understanding of the root cause of your balance issues.
But it’s not just a physical assessment that can drive home our understanding of your balance issues. We also have tools to help us understand what’s going on in your body. For example, our interactive force plate allows us to see in real time how pressure is distributed throughout your feet. By adjusting the plate, we can see how forces and muscles change in your lower body, and all of this allows us to understand your strengths and deficiencies to better develop a treatment plan.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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