Fear of falling among elderly may lead to prolonged inactivity, causing muscle wasting, weakness and ultimately poorer balance (a vicious cycle).
For a 5-year old, balance means learning to ride a bike without training wheels.
For an adult, balance means successfully catching yourself, as you’re carrying an armload of groceries, after tripping over the bike that the 5-year old left laying in the driveway.
For an older adult, balance can be as simple as staying upright as you walk or regaining your footing without falling if you stumble.
Good balance is extremely important for an older person in maintaining independence and confidence in moving around. Lack of balance is a common fear expressed by our elderly patients. Falling and fracturing a bone, especially in the hip, knee, foot, or ankle, often results in the loss of independence and can even be fatal. Fear of falling among elderly may lead to prolonged inactivity, causing causes muscle wasting, weakness and ultimately poorer balance (a vicious cycle).
Luckily, if the issues are detected and addressed earlier, you will be able to maintain good balance throughout your life. For most people, balance starts to slowly deteriorate from their 50’s. Anyone above 50 should include balance training in their exercise routine. Balance training is just as crucial as cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training.
In fact, balance is very complex and can be affected by any number of factors. Medications, inner ear issues, vision problems, high / low blood pressure, and weak muscles are just a few examples of factors that can adversely affect your balance. Physiotherapy focuses on the roles your muscles, bones, joints, and nerves play in creating optimal balance.
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