Balance & Falls Prevention

Improving balance and preventing falls

Falls become more common as we get older and are directly related to how fit we are. There is good evidence that shows that people who keep flexible and strong through activity and sport are less at risk of falling. Most falls do not result in serious injury but the psychological impact having a fall is significant with many people of 75 or over unnecessarily restricting their activities because of fear of falling again.
There are many risk factors for falls but the biggest one is that those who have fallen once are more likely to fall again. People with osteoporosis, thinning of the bones are more likely to have a fracture when they fall. If you know you have osteoporosis or have had a fall, this is the time to take action.

The most profound effect of having a fall that results in a fracture is the loss of independence. About 50 percent of the elderly who sustain a fall-related injury will be discharged to a nursing home rather than return home.

Bury Physio offers 2 services:

Reducing risk and building fitness

This is a service for people in late middle age who may have been diagnosed with osteopenia due to early menopause or with osteoporosis. You will probably have had one fracture as a result of a fall or you may have another medical condition that has affected your fitness and health. You will still be relatively fit and may have attributed your fall to a careless accident. However there is evidence to indicate that reduced strength and balance contributes to most falls and its worth taking action now! At Bury Physio we do a detailed assessment to identify your personal risk factors and give you a education and exercise programme to help you manage your risks and take action to increase your activity and fitness and balance to prevent further falls and fractures.

Managing falls

This service is for a person living at home who has reducing mobility and loss of confidence after a fall. A 2 hour home visit includes a detailed assessment and exercise programme to improve fitness and a risk assessment of the home to advise on things that can be done to reduce the risk of falling due to hazards in the home. Follow up appointments are arranged to support and monitor progress.