Senior Balance Exercises Post Fracture

2 Senior Balance Exercises For After A Fracture

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

   Unfortunately, many older individuals have experienced a fall that lead to a fracture, which can  often lead to a second fall unless the individual practices senior balance exercises after the original injury. Please see more information at   http://www.exerciseforbalance.com/buy-now The most common type of fracture that occurs secondary to a fall is a hip fracture. The effects of a hip fracture can include:

-Leg weakness

- Hip joint stiffness

-Alterations in gait

- Decrease in balance with standing and steadiness with walking

As a result, older individuals who have experienced a hip fracture are at risk for falling and incurring another injury. Falls in elders are associated with several dangerous consequences including hip fracture. The return to pre-fracture social activity participation is one aspect of hip fracture recovery that is often overlooked, but may have important implications for quality of life post-fracture. Social engagement in later life is associated with fewer depressive symptoms as well as a longer survival . The loss of lower extremity function that frequently follows a hip fracture can inhibit the recovery of previous social activity. Falls in the year post-fracture may disrupt this recovery process since falls have been associated with activity avoidance  and depressive symptoms in older adults, factors that might influence participation in social activities. Although nearly all adults who suffer a hip fracture have experienced an injurious fall, not all will continue to fall. Whether individuals who suffer falls in the year post-fracture are less likely to participate in social activities is not known, and whether this association may be explained by worse lower extremity function post-fracture or an increase in depressive symptoms in those who fall is also not known. A better understanding of the influence of factors, such as falls, lower extremity functioning and depressive symptoms on the recovery of social functioning, may provide opportunities to improve outcomes for hip fracture patients. To look at this more specifically, medical researchers performed a study looking at the relationship between falling and activity after a fall. Ram R Miller, et al Repeat falls and the recovery of social participation in the year post-hip fracture in his study, examined data from a prospective cohort from the Baltimore Hip Studies (BHS), in which women were followed for a year post-fracture, to explore whether falls in the year post-fracture impact the recovery of social participation.    The results of the study showed that women who fell only once during each 6-month follow-up time period reported similar levels of social activities as those who did not fall; however, those who fell more than once reported participation in fewer social activities than those who did not fall at each of the 6 and 12 month evaluations. Adjustment for a global measure of lower extremity functional performance did not attenuate this association, suggesting that the decreased social participation in this group was not explained by worse lower extremity function. Adjustment for depressive symptoms, as measured by the GDS scale, did however result in an attenuation of this association by ∼11–14%, suggesting that the observed association may be explained, in part, by an increase in depressive symptoms in those with multiple falls.
The association of multiple (>1) falls with decreased social participation is consistent with previous studies that found that in community-dwelling elders, multiple falls, but not a single fall, were associated with the increased risk for activity avoidance, including avoidance of social activities. To put this information to use, medical practitioners recommend that folks who have experienced a fall should practice senior balance exercises on a regular basis to enhance their stability and minimize the possibility of a second fall.

Senior Balance Exercises For After A Fall

 

Senior balance exercises have been studied by medical researchers and have been proven effective to reduce the likelihood for falling. you can start with basic stability strategies, such as learning to center your body weight in the middle of your base of support. Next, you can learn how to control your body weight as you participate in various movement activities. there are specific equilibrium exercises Like single leg standing or tandem walking, that can help you progress to better steadiness over a few months time. you can rehearse these stability strategies and senior balance exercises in the comfort of your own home by following along with the exercise for balance dvd, developed by an experienced physical therapist.

Senior Balance Exercises In The Exercise For Balance DVD

    Those who have had a fall and fracture,  get started on a course of the best balance exercises with the Exercise For Balance DVD. The healthcare provider recommended Balance DVD is a high quality instructional DVD to use at home or in a group setting. The easy to understand and simple to follow Exercise For Balance DVD includes  a step by step series of the latest balance and strength exercises necessary to optimize senior fitness and to carry out basic daily activities like shopping, doing laundry,  walking, standing, cleaning house, stair climbing or to advance to more difficult pursuits like skiing, dancing, playing golf and hiking. In the  comprehensive Exercise For Balance DVD, you will learn how to improve stability, how to apply steadiness techniques and how to safely execute 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

Get going again by starting 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/