As the population ages across the country, communities have to focus on different areas of wellness than they did before.
Among those concerns is balance and fall risk for seniors. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury in individuals 65 years of age and older. That statistic was addressed on April 17 at the Cherry Hill library, when it partnered with 3-Dimensional Therapy – a local physical therapy source that offers free balance screenings – to hold a community conversation on the subject.
The session offered tips and exercises that seniors and other adults with balance concerns can easily do at home. Physical therapist Katie Gaunt ran the event and demonstrations and went over some of the common causes of balance problems: eyesight; muscle weakness; and medical conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s and diabetes.
“Neuropathy is a very common side effect of diabetes, so it happens a lot in your hands and feet,” she explained. “So obviously, we’re concerned with your feet. You lose sensation in your feet, so it’s going to throw off your balance if you can’t feel what’s under you.”
Gaunt also described a test that can be done for balance, where an individual sits in a chair and tries to stand up without the use of their arms. The faster and easier a person is able to do that, the better their balance.
Gaunt also advised that anyone who feels dizzy when they sit up in the morning should move from bed slowly and wait until they feel steady to stand and start moving. Other recommendations to decrease the risk of falls include not carrying heavy objects or loads, wearing glasses and using walkers or canes if they are needed, ensuring adequate lighting, removing throw rugs and installing handrails by the toilet or in the shower.
Judy Hymowitz is a local resident who was on hand for the library conversation. She goes to physical therapy once a week after tearing tendons in one of her quads three years ago.
“I just like to exercise as much as you can with it when, when it starts to hurt, you stop,” she said. “But it was very informative.”
Hymowitz was also glad to hear Gaunt recommended the brand of walking shoe she uses with her orthotics.
Gaunt recommended other tests for balance. One is to stand on one foot with arms crossed over the trunk of the body and lean to each side. The length of time that takes varies by age. She also offered simple exercises, especially for those with little prior knowledge of them. They include kicking one leg to the side, practicing standing without use of arms and arm circles.
More advanced exercises involved the use of foam pads while standing on one foot to practice balancing on softer surfaces.
