Balance

Balance Awareness

By September 23, 2016February 8th, 2021No Comments

It’s Balance Awareness Week!

Did you know that ⅓ of older adults fall every year? When it comes to senior care, balance is extremely important for helping them maintain mobility and independence. Physical therapists can assist in determining one’s risk of falling by doing balance assessments. RPT even offers home visits for seniors who cannot make it to one of our offices.

Falls and balance problems often occur because of a sedentary lifestyle or lack of muscle strength in the legs. They may also be caused by medical ailments such as arthritis, a stroke, or Parkinson’s Disease.  A physical therapy routine can help strengthen weak muscles or stiff joints, allowing the individual to move more freely. Balance issues occur when any of these four systems are not working properly: vision, inner ear, muscular system, or awareness of one’s own body position (called “proprioception”).

To determine if you have balance issues, consider the following questions:

  • How often do you experience problems with your balance?
  • When do you experience balance problems?
  • Does the room spin?
  • How many times have you fallen in the last year?
  • Have any injuries occurred because of a fall?
  • Have you changed or limited your daily activities because of your balance problems?

If any of these sound like an issue you or someone you know has, it may be time to call us. Our team can help you to increase your strength and movement without the risk of falling. Having confidence in your balance can help you prevent future falls and relieve your fears of falling. Don’t let poor balance keep you from doing the things you love, call us today!