Find Your Balance with Physical Therapy
If you’re worried about falls, physical therapy can help you find stability
Do you struggle with dizziness? Do you worry about falling because of your age or another health concern? Then it might be time to think about your balance and stability. Fortunately, Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness in Washington is here to help!
Most people associate frequent falls with aging, and for a good reason: our risk for falls increases as we get older—25% of adults over 65 report falling each year. However, there are other reasons people might be prone to falling, including neurological or cardiological conditions, medication side effects, or gait and balance issues.
At Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellnessin Washington, we understand how frightening the idea of falling can be. That’s why we offer services to help improve your balance and gait, which helps prevent falls in the long term. If you’re at high risk for falling, schedule an appointment with us today and learn more about how physical therapy can help.
Are you at high risk for falling?
There are several risk factors for falls; the more risk factors someone has, the more likely they are to fall. If you’re at risk for falling, reach out to the physical therapists at (name). We can help you improve your balance and decrease your odds of falling.
Here are some of the common risk factors for falls:
- Advanced age, which is one of the key risk factors, largely due to the physical, cognitive, and sensory changes that occur as we get older
- History of falls
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Reduced physical fitness (whether due to age or a sedentary lifestyle)
- Vision issues
- Neurological or cardiovascular disorders (for example, Parkinson’s or stroke)
- Cognitive impairments (for example, dementia or Alzheimer’s)
- Recovery from a recent injury or surgery
In addition to health-related risk factors, you should consider behavioral or environmental risk factors. For example, if you’re taking a medication that causes dizziness, you might be at higher risk for falls. Alcohol consumption and improper clothing or footwear are another two common behavior risk factors. And there are plenty of environmental risk factors to consider, as well: frozen sidewalks, steep stairs, or high curbs, to name a few.
How physical therapy at Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness can help improve your balance
Balance training can go a long way toward helping to prevent falls among high-risk individuals. This technique utilizes your entire body, improving your strength, mobility, posture, and even your state of mind! Balance training provides a psychological benefit in that it helps ease people’s fear of falling and allows them to more confidently engage in physical activity.
Before we begin your balance training, we’ll start with a detailed balance assessment consisting of a series of simple physical tests. We’ll also take a complete health history so we can better evaluate your specific risk factors. This information allows us to create a customized balance training program just for you.
Your balance training program will typically last for a minimum of two months, with sessions occurring 3-5 times a week, depending on your needs. It’s important that we take things slowly and gradually build on the exercises that have come before. Don’t worry, though: our experts will be there with you every step of the way.
Your program will consist of several different balance exercises, although the specific ones we use will depend on your particular needs. Some of the exercises we might suggest include the following:
- Standing on one leg
- Walking with alternating knee lifts
- Doing tai chi or yoga exercises, both of which promote balance and stability
- Using equipment (such as a balance board) to introduce a challenge into your balance exercises
We may also suggest additional treatments or techniques in tandem with your balance exercises. For example, strength training targets certain muscle groups that can help with balance and walking, and a strong body is less likely to fall! Or, if you have gait issues, we may also suggest walking exercises.
Schedule an appointment with us today!
The physical therapists at Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness in Washington want to see you navigate this world without the fear of falling. We’re here to help you find your balance and get moving, even into old age.
Make an appointment with Kintsugi Physical Therapy & Wellness today, and we’ll work together to find your balance!