Slipping and falling is a problem that affects many elderly adults every year. While these falls might be amusing and harmless in younger people, they can be injurious and even life-threatening in older people. As a result, it is critical for those in this situation to get high-quality physical therapy to stay as strong and healthy as possible.
Falls Can Be So Devastating in Elderly Adults
Elderly adults often experience a large number of balance issues that can make it much harder for them to stay stable as they walk. And this problem often combines with weaker bones and muscles to make falls even more damaging on them than they would be on younger people. Some elderly people may break bones when they fall a small distance, which will cause unnecessary suffering in their life.
As a result, it is important to do whatever is possible to stop a senior from falling. Unfortunately, many may take the excessive step of avoiding exercise and movement as much as possible, putting them at risk of losing strength and increasing their risk of falling even further. As a result, it is essential to consider the benefits of physical therapy for those who need geriatric health help late in life.
How Physical Therapy Helps
High-quality physical therapy can take on many different forms. For example, older adults struggling with balance issues can receive geriatric physical therapy to improve their strength and balance issues. Typically, fall prevention focuses on teaching seniors ways to cope with their balance, how to spot a sudden loss of balance, and increasing the strength of their bodies to make falling less likely to occur.
Just as importantly, this treatment method can also help to increase the strength of a senior's body to make it easier for them to resist damage when they do fall. For example, they can go through routines that increase their muscle density and make an injury less likely to occur when they fall. In this way, they can stay as strong as possible for years to come and can avoid injury late into life.
This type of treatment is something that seniors have to pursue regularly to make it worth their time. Therapy once or twice a week is probably enough to help them stay strong and avoid slip and fall injuries. And if they do occur, their bodies will be strong enough to avoid damaging injuries.
