Steps to Preventing Falls in the Home

Falls in the elderly are the leading cause of fatal as well as non fatal injuries. Thirty percent of people over the age of 65 will fall each year. The U.S. spends approximately $20.2 billion annually for the treatment of injuries to older people after falls. The majority of the cost is for hip fracture care, which averages $35,000 per patient.

The most common types of injuries sustained after falls include: hip, spine, and wrist fractures as well as head trauma. These types of injuries can result in serious disabilities and prolonged rehabilitation stays as well as possible death.

It is important to be aware of this situation, because falls can be prevented. Sixty percent of elderly falls occur in the home. By safe proofing your or your loved ones house, you can help decrease this number. Read these easy steps to fall proof a house.

Kitchen:
Clean up spills as soon as they occur
Do not store any objects above a hands reach
Use a step stool with hand rails if needed
Avoid climbing on counters to obtain objects

Living Room:
Pick up any throw rugs…. Do not have them anywhere in the house
Have ample space to walk in between furniture
Keep all electrical cords out of the way

Bathroom:
Keep a night light on at all times
Install rails in the bathtub or shower
Place a non skid mat in the shower or bathtub

Stairs:
Keep all stairways free of clutter
Install hand rails on both sides of the steps

From Laura Inverarity, D.O., former About.com Guide

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Steps to Preventing Falls in the Home

Exercises to Prevent Falls

 

**ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY NEW EXERCISE PROGRAM

Exercises to Prevent Falls

Balance Activities

From Laura Inverarity, D.O., former About.com Guide

 

 

Falls in the elderly are the leading cause of fatal as well as non-fatal injuries. The most common types of injuries sustained after falls include hip, spine, and wrist fractures, as well as head trauma. These injuries can result in serious disabilities and since falls can be prevented.

Balance exercises help you maintain strong leg muscles and prevent falls. For this reason, a home exercise program that includes balance activities is essential for older individuals.
Below are some exercises that can help improve your balance. In the beginning, for safety, hold onto a table or chair with both hands. As you progress and your balance improves, you can decrease the amount of support by using one or no hands.
Exercise One

• Stand directly behind a table or chair and place your feet slightly apart.
• Lift one leg six inches out to the side.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.

Exercise Two

• Stand directly behind a table or chair and place your feet slightly apart.
• Slowly bend one knee toward your chest lifting your foot six inches off the floor.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.

Exercise Three

• Stand directly behind a table or chair and place your feet slightly apart.
• Lift one leg straight back, keeping your knee straight.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.

The above exercises should be performed two to three times a day.

 

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Thanks from Guy!

During the summer, I injured my knee while steping down a flight of stairs, resulting in a great deal of pain and difficulty in walking.  In hoping to forego the need for surgery, my doctor prescribed  a course of rehabilitative physical therapy.  Because of their reputation in our community, I decided to schedule my therapy with Therapy 1 and am happy to say that I couldn't have made a better choice!  
During my therapy sessions (some six weeks), I was able to regain much more mobility in my knee and with much less pain.  The therapists were also able to significantly improve the strength of my other leg (non-injured), of which I was still feeling the effects of surgery several years ago.
I simply can't say enough good about the professional, caring, friendly staff of Therapy 1 and would highly recommend them to anyone in need of such services!
Sincerely,
Guy Tunnell 

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Meet the President and Founder of THERAPY1ONE

James B. Cox, P.T., M.S.

Jim is the president and founder of THERAPY1ONE. A scholarship football athlete at Ohio University from 1977-1981, he received his Bachelor's degree in Zoology in 1981. Jim received his degree in Physical Therapy from Cleveland State University in 1983. He returned to Ohio University to get a Master's degree in Sports Medicine in 1984.
With over 25 years of experience as an orthopedic physical therapist, Jim has multiple specialties in the area of spinal rehabilitation, sports medicine, manual therapy, wellness and industrial rehabilitation. He is Certified in Physical Work Performance Evaluation by ErgoScience. He has been qualified as an expert witness in the areas of physical therapy and functional capacity evaluation.
Jim has consulted with industry for ergonomic job analyses for many local companies including Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Bay County Schools, Bay Line Railroad, Apalachicola Northern Railroad, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, Arizona Chemical Corporation, Gulf Power, Wendy's, Shoney's, Cost Cutters and many others.

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Thomas is all "Fore" THERAPY1ONE

Now that weeks have pasted, I can say the Physical Therapy I received at THERAPY1ONE has been a success! I have taken a car trip to Jacksonville, while there played golf and enjoyed it all without being in pain. A special thanks at all the staff at THERAPY1ONE.

Thomas P. Panama City, FL

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Self-Care for Pain Control

Self-Care for Pain Control

For mild to moderate muscle and joint pain, cold and heat can often be as effective as medication, without the risks and costs.

COLD PACKS-Place a damp towel over the painful area. Put the cold pack on the towel and cover it with dry towels for insulation. Do not leave the pack on the area for more than 20 minutes at a time. Check your skin regularly for loss of underlying redness.

HEATING PAD-Place a towel over the painful area and put the pad on top. Limit use of heating pad to 30 minutes at a time. Check occasionally for red and white blotches.

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What is a TENS unit?

Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is prescribed by a doctor. It is intended to relieve pain by preventing pain signals from reaching your brain. TENS is safe and usually painless, but it isn’t always effective.

With TENS, small electrodes are placed on your skin, near the area of your pain. The electrodes are attached to a small portable stimulator that you wear. The stimulator delivers tiny electrical impulses through the electrodes to nearby nerve pathways. You turn the TENS unit on and off as needed to control pain.

Exactly how the impulses may relieve pain is uncertain. One theory is that they stimulate production of endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers.

TENS generally works best for acute pain associated with a pinched nerve. It is less successful for chronic pain, although some people receive benefit from it. Most often, TENS is used in conjunction with other treatments, including exercise.

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Lean on this Meat

Getting bored with chicken? Try pork tenderloin instead. It's just as versatile-you can stir-fry, grill, or roast it. Even better: A 3-ounce serving has as little fat (3 grams) and 18 fewer calories than the same amount of skinless chicken breast.

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Just Breath!

Don’t Hold your Breath

If you’ve been in an exercise class you may have heard your instructor say,” Don’t forget to breathe.” And you may have said to yourself, “of course I’m, breathing.”

 It’s common to hold your breath when you’re concentrating on an activity, such as exercise, or struggling with a simple task, such as opening a lid on a jar. And often, you don’t even realize that you’re doing it. When you hold your breath, however, you limit oxygen to your muscles just when they need it the most. Because you muscle can’t perform to their capacity without adequate oxygen, you become more easily fatigued.

To keep from holding your breath, exhale when you exert the most energy, such as twisting a jar or lid or lifting a heavy box from the floor. Your body will naturally respond by breathing air in.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a common syndrome in which a person has long-term, body-wide pain and tenderness in the joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues.
Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, sleep problems, headaches, depression, and anxiety.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The cause is unknown. Possible causes or triggers of fibromyalgia include:

• Physical or emotional trauma
• Abnormal pain response - areas in the brain that are responsible for pain may react differently in fibromyalgia patients
• Sleep disturbances
• Infection, such as a virus, although none has been identified

Fibromyalgia is most common among women aged 20 to 50.
The following conditions may be seen with fibromyalgia or mimic its symptoms:

• Chronic neck or back pain
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Depression
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
• Lyme disease
• Sleep disorders

Symptoms

Pain in the main symptom of fibromyalgia. It may be mild to severe.

• Painful areas are called tender points. Tender points are found in the soft tissue on the back of the neck, shoulders, chest, lower back, hips, shins, elbows, and knees. The pain then spreads out from these areas.
• The pain may feel like a deep ache, or a shooting, burning pain.
• The joints are not affected, although the pain may feel like it is coming from the joints.

People with fibromyalgia tend to wake up with body aches and stiffness. For some patients, pain improves during the day and gets worse at night. Some patients have pain all day long.
Pain may get worse with activity, cold or damp weather, anxiety, and stress.
Fatigue, depressed mood, and sleep problems are seen in almost all patients with fibromyalgia. Many say that they can't get to sleep or stay asleep, and they feel tired when they wake up.
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia may include:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Memory and concentration problems
• Numbness and tingling in hands and feet
• Palpitations
• Reduced ability to exercise
• Tension or migraine headaches

Signs and tests

To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, you must have had at least 3 months of widespread pain, and pain and tenderness in at least 11 of 18 areas, including

• Arms (elbows)
• Buttocks
• Chest
• Knees
• Lower back
• Neck
• Rib cage
• Shoulders
• Thighs

Blood and urine tests are usually normal. However, tests may be done to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms.

Treatment

The goal of treatment is to help relieve pain and other symptoms, and to help a person cope with the symptoms.
The first type of treatment may involve:

• Physical therapy
• Exercise and fitness program
• Stress-relief methods, including light massage and relaxation techniques

If these treatments do not work, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant or muscle relaxant. The goal of medication is to improve sleep and pain tolerance. Medicine should be used along with exercise and behavior therapy. Duloxetine (Cymbalta), pregabalin (Lyrica), and milnacipran (Savella) are medications that are approved specifically for treating fibromyalgia.
However, many other drugs are also used to treat the condition, including:

• Anti-seizure drugs
• Other antidepressants
• Muscle relaxants
• Pain relievers
• Sleeping aids

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an important part of treatment. This therapy helps you learn how to:

• Deal with negative thoughts
• Keep a diary of pain and symptoms
• Recognize what makes your symptoms worse
• Seek out enjoyable activities
• Set limits

Support groups may also be helpful.
Other recommendations include:

• Eat a well-balanced diet
• Avoid caffeine
• Practice good sleep routines to improve quality of sleep (See: Sleeping difficulty)
• Acupressure and acunpuncture

Severe cases of fibromyalgia may require a referral to a pain clinic.

Expectations (prognosis)

Fibromyalgia is a long-term disorder. Sometimes, the symptoms improve. Other times, the pain may get worse and continue for months or years.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health-care provider if you have symptoms of fibromyalgia.

Prevention

There is no known prevention.