By COLLEEN SLEIK

PT, DPT, OCS, certified

in Vestibular Rehabilitation

This October, our goal is to educate adults about the many ways in which physical therapists, as movement experts, can help individuals overcome pain, gain and maintain movement, and preserve their independence-without the need, in many cases, for surgery or long-term prescription drug use.

Balance is often taken for granted. Most people don’t think twice about walking across a gravel driveway, climbing stairs into a friend’s home, or getting in and out of bed in the middle of the night. More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States. An estimated 33 percent of all adults with ongoing balance problems experience difficulty performing basic activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and eating. In older adults, balance-related falls account for more than one half of accidental deaths. Few people talk to their doctor about their balance troubles and may see it as a sign of aging.

Balance is comprised of three systems including vision, the vestibular system in the inner ear, and proprioception, or the integration of information from muscles, joints, pressure and touch receptors that provide the brain with information about position in space. Injury, disease, or the aging process can affect one or more of these components. The brain takes information from these three systems to control body movements to maintain balance. When one or more of these systems is not functioning properly, the other systems may compensate or adjustments must be made in the environment, such as turning on lights, maintaining clear walkways, or using a railing or cane on uneven surfaces.

The American Academy of Neurology recommends that doctors routinely ask patients about falls and use screening measures and mobility tests to assess fall risk. They go on to recommend preventative measures be taken for those found to have an increased fall risk to include starting a regular exercise program or eliminating fall hazards in the home.

Balance screening is a great opportunity to become aware of your risk for falls. You will learn under which conditions you are at risk as well as the actions you can take to prevent falls. At Focus on Function Physical Therapy, we use computerized balance testing to assess fall risk. The benefit to computerized screening is the ability to compare results from year to year to detect change that may be subtle, however with great consequences.

In honor of National Physical Therapy Month, we will be offering free balance screens on Tuesdays and Thursdays in October.