Parkinson's Fall Rate And Senior Balance Exercises

Senior Balance Exercises For Parkinson's Patients

By Suzanne Stoke, Physical Therapist @ Exercise For Balance via www.exerciseforbalance.com

   Falling is always a concern for those with Parkinson's Disease and performing senior balance exercises cab be one way to help. Please see   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now According to Dr. Rein Tideiksaar, while aging by itself can increase the risk of falling, the question for people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is not if, but when will they fall. Most individuals with Parkinson’s Disease experience one or more falls every year. In fact, people with Parkinson’s Disease are twice as likely to fall as people without Parkinson’s Disease . The consequences of falling are significant and far reaching, often resulting in injury (skin tears, bruising, bone fractures, head trauma, etc.), fear of falling, reduced activity, and family caregiver stress. There are several reasons for falling. Being aware of these factors is one step to preventing falls:

•    Muscle stiffness and slowness of movement (known as bradykinesia). Muscles feel tired and achy. Moving becomes slow and limited, especially when getting up from beds, chairs, toilets, etc.
•    Freezing of one’s feet (a sudden inability to walk or initiate walking movements). Described by individuals as ‘My feet feel like they’re stuck to the floor’.
•    Walking slowly. Persons take small steps and shuffle with feet positioned close together, which affects one’s balance. Shuffling of the feet easily leads to tripping.
•    Postural instability. Persons have a tendency to lean forward. As a result, balance loss occurs during everyday activities (standing up; bending down or forward; turning around; trying to avoid obstacles; etc.).
•    Visual changes. Some persons experience blurry or double vision and changes in depth perception that can make balance difficult.
•    Low blood pressure when getting up after sitting or lying down can occur. This can result in dizziness and loss of balance.
•    Constipation (a common complaint) causes physical pressure on the bladder, which contributes to urine loss. This can result in falls when a person rushes to the bathroom and/or slips on their urine.
•    Mental impairment. Persons exhibit fatigue and exhaustion (caused by lack of sleep), stress and emotional reactions to life’s events (depression, anxiety, inattention, etc.), which increases susceptibility to falling.
•    Fear of falling can lead to restriction of activity resulting in deconditioning and loss of muscle strength and balance, which increases the chances of falling.  Low fear of falling, on the other hand, can result in risk taking behavior and contribute to increased falls.
•    Medications. While PD medications will ease symptoms and improve mobility, they may not benefit balance.  Some of the complications caused by medications, such as dyskinesias (twisting and writhing movements) and retropulsion and propulsion (falling backward and forward), may result in falls.

Additionally, practicing certain senior balance exercises is one of the most effective ways to reduce falling and the injuries that accompany falling.

Senior Balance Exercises For Those With Parkinson's

     A daily dose of senior balance exercises can go along way to improve steadiness for those who live with Parkinson's Disease. One equilibrium routine that is particularly effective for Parkinson's patients is to learn how to control shifting your body with in a standing position. First, stand in a good upright posture with your feet shoulder width a part. Next, slowly shift your body weight to your toes and then to your heels ( have a counter or table near by if you need to hang on to something). As you learn to control how your body weight moves under your feet you will be ready to progress to other stability routines such as those found in the exercise for balance dvd, developed by a qualified Physical Therapist.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    For those folks with Parkinson's Disease, please initiate a program of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare professional recommended Exercise For Balance DVD is an excellent educational DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of up to date balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to perform basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult activities like skiing, dancing, bocce ball and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, steadiness techniques and balance routines from a  qualified balance specialist --- licensed Physical Therapist---who has worked with balance and dizziness disorders for over 25 years. Get your copy of the Exercise For Balance DVD by clicking on the BUY NOW button

Be aware of reasons for falls and start balance exercises today with the Exercise For Balance DVD to improve balance and prevent falls.
For more information see http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/