Balance Training/ Fall Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Injury Prevention(CDC) estimates one in three adults ages 65 and older fall each year.  Of those falls 20-30% will suffer a significant decline in function.   As with the prevention of any condition it is important to identify risk factors.  Any one or combination of these risk factors increases your likelihood of falling:

• Age 65 and older
• History of falls (Have you fallen before?  Do you lose your balance regularly?)
• Weakness in trunk or lower extremities (Do you have difficulty walking or getting up from a chair?)
• Dizziness
• Decreased sensation in your feet

It has been well documented that physical therapy programs emphasizing lower extremity and core strengthening as well as specific balance “re-education” exercises can minimize your fall risk.