Falling is something many people do not want to admit to. I for one feel embarrassed when I fall and try to make sure no one around sees or hears about it. Falling however can change your life in a split second as many who fall suffer serious injuries and will never return to their previous lives. Therefore falls and fall prevention should be taken very seriously.
Falls happen to 1 out of 3 seniors and to put that into perspective, every 14 seconds someone is treated in the ER due to a fall. 95% of all hip fractures and 40% of nursing home admissions are due to falls. Falls also comes with serious consequences as 1 in 5 people who suffer hip fractures die within 1 year and every 29 minutes someone dies due to a fall related injury.
With these statistics, we want to do our best to make sure we do everything we can to prevent ourselves and our loved ones from falling. This starts with identifying people who are at risk. The CDC has developed a simple questionnaire you can take that will indicate if you are at risk. Also a balance and fall screen can be performed identifying specific areas that are causing problems and things you can work on. At FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers, we utilize the BodyQ balance screen which gives you a rating of fall risk.
Once identified as having a risk of falling, participating in a fall prevention program has been found to improve your balance and reduce your risk. The key to improving balance is to train it. We find this best done with a safety Overhead Harness System which harnesses you to the ceiling allowing you to train your balance without the risk of falling. It can be great for people who fear falling because while harnessed there is no chance of falling.
September 23 is National Fall Prevention Day and FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers is “Fighting Falls in Fall”. We can help determine your risk of falling by a taking a simple questionnaire and performing the BODYQ Balance Screen. We have a team of Balance Therapists who along with our Safety Overhead Harness System can help you reduce your risk of falling and injury.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at 570-501-1808. To find out more information visit our website www.hazletonpt.com or catch our TV show “Wellness through FYZICAL Therapy” daily on WLYN.