Avoiding Falls at Any Age

By Kristi Ayers

Oooof! We’ve all done it—tripped over something left in the entryway, caught the edge of one shoe on a stair, lost our balance getting something a little out of reach. Falling and hurting ourselves is part of life, beginning with our first steps as infants. But as we shed the cushion of diapers and baby fat, the risk of injury rises. One of our first reflexes as babies is a protective one: our little hands reaching out to catch ourselves when we feel ourselves falling.

Fear of falling is instinctive, built in. As we age, this fear can become a daily concern. We know that an older person who falls could face disastrous consequences. One could could be injured seriously, losing the ability to live independently. Public health officials have noted that as people live past 80 years in our country, falls become more and more of a problem, socially and economically. Of course we have options. We can always try to cushion ourselves to prevent injuries. A study done a decade ago took high-risk people and put thick pads around their hips. The pads prevented hip fractures when the people fell.

Other research-based suggestions come from organizations who work for the health of elderly people. The American Geriatric Society has established that people taking more than four medications often have more falls. The other biggest reasons people might fall are low blood pressure, urinary incontinence, bad eyesight, muscle weakness, and poor balance. The exciting thing is that physical therapy can help directly with three of those risk factors: incontinence, weakness, and balance deficits. It has long been up to physical therapists to examine individuals specifically to determine their risk of falls.

A physical therapist can test a person in numerous ways to assess fall risk. Based on the specific impairments a person has, the physical therapist works to help the person gain the skills needed to prevent falls. Ask your doctor what you can do to keep from falling. Be sure to get a referral for physical therapy, too. You can start immediately to gain confidence that you can avoid a fall at any age. Kristi Ayers, 530-520-3792