When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I didn't know what I was going to do. After the devastation subsided, I decided to take a very standard, western approach to my healing. Although initial efforts were successful, my cancer recurred a few months later. I endured many additional months of treatment before I started focusing on myself. I decided it was time to incorporate complimentary alternative treatments into my healing regimen, including massage therapy. I can't even begin to tell you how much it changed my life. My healing became a process, instead of something I simply had to endure. I hope that the articles on my website can inspire you to stay open-minded about your own healthcare.
If you have an older loved one in your life, then you may be concerned about them falling and seriously injuring themselves. This is a justified concern, as broken hips and other broken bones are quite common in older adults. One thing you can do to help your loved one avoid falls is to enroll them in fall prevention therapy for seniors. Here's what that therapy typically involves.
Strengthening Exercises
People naturally lose muscle strength as they age, and this makes falls more likely. Working to strengthen certain muscles, such as those that stabilize the core and upper legs, can help patients walk more stably and reduce their risk of falls. As such, this is a major component of most fall prevention therapy programs. The physical therapists and other practitioners will guide your loved one through various exercises to target their weakest muscles. Over time, they will work up to doing more repetitions and more challenging exercises. In some cases, your loved one may be asked to repeat certain exercises on their own, at home, to accelerate their results. You may be able to help them with this.
Stabilization Techniques
Things like grab bars and handles can help your loved one move more safely through their own home. However, your loved one also has to know how to properly hold onto these accessories and use them. This is something they can work on in fall prevention therapy. They'll learn where to grab a bar, how to move their body when they are holding onto the bar, and when grab bars are really necessary. If your loved one uses a cane or walker, the therapist can also help them learn how to position their walker or cane when they are grabbing handles.
Safe Falling Strategies
In a perfect world, your loved one would never fall, especially after going through fall prevention therapy. But accidents do happen now and then. A fall prevention therapist will likely teach your loved one some tips to minimize the chances of injury if they do fall. For example, they may instruct them to pull their arm in rather than catching themselves.
Fall prevention therapy is a good idea for any adult who is getting older. Even if they are not becoming unstable on their feet just yet, they can benefit from doing some exercises under the instruction of a therapist. Look for this sort of therapy near you, and enroll your loved one soon.
Share27 May 2022
