Alzheimer's/Memory Loss and Balance
By: Nicholas Refka, SPT
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of memory issues that can lead to many other complications. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects millions of Americans and is predominantly found in the geriatric population. Within the United States, there are 5.1 million Americans that are currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.1 AD has a profound effect on one’s ability to stay active in a safe and controlled manner. Falls and fall-related injuries occur more frequently in persons diagnosed with AD.2 This increase in falls is due to the deficits in balance and gait that one experiences with Alzheimer’s disease.
People with Alzheimer’s are less active than their healthy counterparts, which has a negative effect on their physical health. This unfortunately leads Alzheimer’s patients to commonly stop participating in their leisure activities such as golfing, bowling, or going for walks. This type of sedentary lifestyle will subsequently have a negative impact on other body systems; such as the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. A good way to combat the physical and medical complications that come with AD is physical therapy and remaining active!
As the disease progresses, so does the severity of its impact on one’s balance and gait. The earlier one starts practicing balance and gait activities, the higher likelihood one will stay active, mobile and safe. Here at FYZICAL, our goal is to give our patients a feeling of independence without putting their well-being at risk. We use an overhead suspension system to give our patients a safety blanket to fall back on while we push them to improve their balance and gait. This will give our AD patients the ability to continue doing the things that they love which will provide an overall improved quality of life.
- Gras LZ, Kanaan SF, Mcdowd JM, Colgrove YM, Burns J, Pohl PS. Balance and Gait of Adults With Very Mild Alzheimer Disease. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. 2015;38(1):1-7. doi:10.1519/jpt.0000000000000020.
- Tangen GG, Engedal K, Bergland A, Moger TA, Mengshoel AM. Relationships Between Balance and Cognition in Patients With Subjective Cognitive Impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer Disease. Physical Therapy. 2014;94(8):1123-1134. doi:10.2522/ptj.20130298.