4 Physical Therapies that Can Effectively Prevent Falls in the Elderly

1. The Risk of Falls In the Elderly

(1) Fracture is One of the Most Common and Serious Physical Injuries After Falls in the Elderly.

Because the elderly bones are relatively loose, bone strength and toughness decline, and it is easy to fracture after falling.

Hip fracture is the most common and is called the “last fracture” because it can cause a series of serious complications. After hip fracture in the elderly, long-term bed rest can lead to lung infection, urinary system infection, deep vein thrombosis, and other complications, which have a high mortality rate.

In addition, fractures of the wrist, spine, and legs are also more common. For example, wrist fractures can lead to limited hand function, affecting grasping movements in daily life; spinal fractures may damage nerves, cause limb numbness, and weakness, and even affect respiratory function; leg fractures can affect walking, making the elderly lose the ability to live independently.

(2) Falls May Lead to Injuries to the Skin, Muscles, Tendons, Ligaments, and Other Soft Tissues in the Elderly.

Skin abrasions and contusions are more common, if not handled properly, it is easy to cause infection. Muscle strain can cause pain and swelling, affecting the normal movement of the limbs. Ligament tears, such as knee ligament tears, can lead to joint instability, and affect joint function, and the recovery process is relatively slow.

Long-term pain and activity restriction may also lead to problems such as muscle atrophy. psychic trauma

So what are the ways to prevent the elderly from falling?

Physical therapy can help to prevent falls in the elderly to some extent:

1. Balance Training

Rationale: As the age increases, their balance gradually decreases.

Balance training can stimulate the nervous system, and enhance neuromuscular coordination so that the body can better maintain balance in various postures.

For example, one-foot standing training, by allowing the elderly to stand on one foot for a certain period, can effectively activate the proprioceptors of the leg muscles and ankle joints. These receptors will signal the body’s position to the brain, and the brain adjusts the muscle contraction and relaxation of the muscles according to these signals, thus improving the balance ability.

Method: including static balance training and dynamic balance training.

Static balance training, such as standing with both feet together, or standing with one foot; dynamic balance training includes walking in a straight line, walking from heel to toe, etc.

This training can be conducted under the guidance of a physical therapist or with the help of auxiliary devices such as balance plates.

The elderly stand on the balance board and adjust their body posture to maintain balance. This unstable support surface can better stimulate muscles and nerves and enhance balance control.

2. Strength Training Rationale: Muscle Strength is One Of the Key Factors in Preventing Prevention.

In particular, the strength of the legs, ankles, and core muscles plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the body.

When the muscle strength is insufficient, the body is easy to lose balance and falls in dealing with external interference and daily activities (such as getting up, going up and down stairs).

For example, strong leg muscles can provide sufficient support and propulsion during walking to prevent tripping due to leg weakness.

Way: Common strength training includes leg squat, leg bending, ankle tiptoe, ankle dorsiflexion, and other movements, as well as the core muscle group of supine leg lifting, plank support, etc.

The intensity and frequency of training should be gradually increased according to the physical condition of the elderly. It is generally recommended to conduct strength training 2-3 times for 30-60 minutes a week.

In the training process, we should pay attention to the correct posture to avoid damage caused by improper posture.

3. Gait Training

Principle: The gait of the elderly tends to become unstable, with smaller stride lengths and slower gait speeds.

Gait training can improve walking patterns and improve walking stability and efficiency in older adults.

Correcting abnormal gait, makes the body’s center of gravity shift more smoothly and reduces the risk of falls.

For example, for older people with a floor-mopping gait (wiping the floor while walking), gait training can help them adjust their height and walking pace to avoid falling over their feet.

Methods: including normal speed walking training on flat ground, changing walking speed (fast walking and slow walking) training, crossing obstacles training, etc.

The physical therapist will observe the walking posture of the elderly, and correct and adjust the stride length, stride frequency, step landing mode, and other aspects.

At the same time, the treadmill and other equipment can also be used for gait training. By adjusting the speed and slope of the treadmill, different walking environments can be simulated, to enhance the ability of the elderly to adapt to various road conditions.

4. Functional Training

Principles: Functional training emphasizes the improvement of the ability of daily living activities so that the elderly can be safer and more independent in daily activities (such as dressing, bathing, bed and bed).

This training can help the elderly to better coordinate the functions of all parts of the body, and enhance balance and stability in real-life scenarios.

For example, when dressing training, the elderly need to complete arm extension, bending, and other movements in a standing or sitting posture, which involves the coordination of multiple joints and muscle groups of the body. These movements can be made more skilled and stable through functional training.

Way: including various movements of simulated daily life activities, such as standing up from a chair, going up and down stairs, bending down to pick up things, etc.

Physiotherapists will design personalized functional training programs according to the specific life scenarios and physical conditions of the elderly.

At the same time, will combine the use of some auxiliary devices (such as handrails, walker) training, so that the elderly with the help of AIDS to better complete daily activities, further reducing the risk of falls.

Although physical therapy has a positive effect on preventing falls in the elderly, it should be combined with other preventive measures (such as improving environmental factors, regular visual and hearing tests, etc.) to more effectively reduce the occurrence of falls in the elderly.