26 Apr 2010 A balancing act: Tips to reduce risk of falls
Proprioception means the ability to have a sense of where we are in space and about the relationship of one physical part of us to another. In other words, it refers to balance. – like in equilibrium, stability and the like or the ability to remain upright and move without falling.
There are many issues to balance, from the condition of one’s eyes to the flexibility in your ankles, according to Julie Shock, a physical therapist at the Therapy Center in the Conway Regional Health System.
“And as we grow older we naturally lose our power of balance so that perhaps our feet hit the ground at an odd angle putting a strain on our ankles and back,” she said.
Keeping one’s balance is a complex process that relies on a constant flow of information about body position to the brain. This information comes from three sources – the eyes, ears and sensory nerves in the skin, muscles and joints.
The cerebellum in the brain collates this info and impacts the position of the body. This information allows various parts of the body to perform changes needed to maintain balance.
All this leads to the fact that balance is vital to individuals, particularly those who are weakened by disease that can greatly affect balance. For example, many ear problems that can cause dizziness or vertigo can throw you for a loop.
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the consequences are great for falls for adults 65 years and over – 13,700 deaths, 1.8 million visits to the emergency room, and $19 billion in medical costs annually due to hip fractures, head trauma and more. One in three people 60 and older will fall in a year’s time.
You don’t necessarily break a bone when you fall. But when it happens, many outcomes kick in and the unfortunate victims instead wind up with sprains and strains that impact everything they do.
Experts say it is fairly easy to improve “proprioception” through balance training. The good news, says Shock and other therapists and trainers at the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center, is that a few simple exercises each day will go a long way in helping balance. Five minutes of balance training a day, employing various body positions, brings many benefits.
Gina Tusson, a trainer at the fitness center, suggests a check of eyes and ears before starting a balance training session. “You may not see the lamp cord on the floor or your depth perception may be off slightly so that you don’t notice a step up or down,” she warns.
Balance training has been shown to dramatically reduce the chances of falling. Tusson takes several people though helpful exercises in the Silver Sneakers program at the center – all designed to lessen the risk of falling.
“Stress, flexibility and posture are some of the factors to be considered in treatment,” said Shock. “We take people through these tests that give us information about where they should be for their age and about their risk of falling.
The use of a traditional balance machine and the video “Wii Fit” game board on which a person stands to measure balance are tools used.
While all this is done in rehab, the individual must take pains also to exercise on balance measures at home. “It’s going to be a lifestyle change, so it’s just not going to be something that gets taken care of here. They will be instructed to do long term exercises that hopefully will keep them on their feet and keep them from falling,” Shock said.
