How To Protect Your Safety With Physical Therapy For Fall Prevention
A minor fall can cause bruises and stiffness. A serious fall can cause any of the following:
- Broken bones
- Joint dislocations
- Ligament damage
- Nerve damage
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal damage
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Since falls are preventable, you may think you or an older loved one doesn’t have a high risk of falling. However, as people age, the risk of falls increases, with 25% of older adults suffering a fall every year.
Proactive physical therapy can help with fall prevention. Today, you can understand how it can help you, and you can learn the benefits of physical therapy for you or an older loved one.
Are Falls Common?
There are approximately three million older individuals who suffer injuries from a fall and end up seeking treatment in emergency rooms every year. Falls are very serious for older adults and are the primary cause of both nonfatal injuries and injury fatalities among this age group.
Why Are Falls Common?
People’s bodies change as they age. External signs of aging include gray hair and wrinkles. Internally, changes in bones, joints, and muscles increase the risk of falls.
People also lose bone tissue as they age, which makes their bones weaker.
Additionally, the cartilage between joints can thin, and the amount of fluid that lubricates joints decreases. These changes cause stiff joints. Each year, approximately 790,000 people in the U.S. have knee replacement surgery, and another 544,000 have hip replacement surgery.
Muscles also shrink and weaken. When muscle fibers are replaced, the new fibers are tough. These tough fibers contribute to muscle stiffness, which affects mobility.
In addition to changes affecting bones, joints, and muscles, inner ear changes, chronic health issues, such as arthritis, some medications used to treat blood pressure and depression can also contribute to balance issues that increase the risk of falls.
How Physical Therapy Helps Prevent Falls
Lack of activity is one of the reasons older adults suffer from bone loss. Physical therapy promotes increased activity in a personalized, safe way for each individual.
Physical therapy also promotes fall prevention in the following ways:
- Getting the lubricant between joints moving, which helps reduce stiffness and pain.
- Helping people strengthen their bones and muscles.
- Improving balance.
Physical therapists help with fall prevention by teaching individuals how to perform various exercises during their physical therapy sessions. These exercises help reduce pain while rebuilding muscle and bone strength.
How Physical Therapy Promotes Safety
The ways Monument Health Group’s physical therapists promote safety include:
- Monument Health Group tailors your physical therapy to address the factors that put you at risk of falling: You may be learning how to walk again after a stroke, regaining your strength after prolonged hospitalization, or recovering from surgery. We address the root cause to ensure you receive appropriate treatment that promotes your recovery.
- Monument Health Group educates you about ways to reduce fall risks: Physical factors aren’t the only reasons people fall. Environmental factors can also increase risk. Monument Health Group teaches you ways to reduce risks and prevent falls at home, such as:
- Adding safety support, such as grab bars in the bathroom.
- Eliminating loose items, such as rugs.
- Improving the lighting.
- Monument Health Group personalizes your exercise plan: Customizing your treatment plan ensures you receive optimal physical therapy to help you regain mobility while reducing your risk of falls.
Monument Health Group: Personalized Physical Therapy That Reduces Fall Risks
Individuals may need skilled nursing care for many reasons, including the following:
- Adjusting to a diagnosis of a chronic health condition.
- Recovering from a health event, such as a heart attack or stroke.
- Recovering from hospitalization.
- Recovering from surgery.
Monument Health Group provides skilled nursing care for these individuals, ensuring that every person receives personalized care that promotes their recovery. Whether you need skilled nursing care for yourself or a loved one, we have multiple facilities throughout Utah that provide comprehensive rehabilitative therapy and safety programs designed for older adults. Our goal is to help each resident achieve their recovery goals as quickly as possible.
Contact us to discuss your needs, schedule a tour, and find out how we can help you or your loved one restore health, reduce the risk of falls, and regain independence.
