As the 2024 Summer Olympics come to an end, I am always in awe of the grace, athleticism, and precision of the women gymnasts as they perform on the balance beam. Their ability to maintain balance and control on the narrow beam is beyond my imagination. Losing balance often means losing the competition.
Just about everyone has experienced a fall at some point after losing their balance or tripping over an object. Although common, falls can be dangerous and lead to many types of injuries, some of them long-term or even fatal. Fortunately, the most common causes of falling are also preventable. If you find that you are dizzy or otherwise losing your balance, don't ignore it...seek help as soon as balance issues begin.
What Happens in the Body When we Fall?
Falling occurs because the body's balance has been disrupted. A person's body can maintain balance because the brain receives and interprets information from several different types of sources: Vision (from the eyes), Proprioception (from the joints and muscles that provide a sense of touch), and the Vestibular System (from the inner ear which senses motion, equilibrium, and where we are in physical space).
Based on this input, the brain sends information to different parts of the body to help maintain balance. Sometimes the different sources may send conflicting information. For example, have you ever gotten off a treadmill, boat or out of a moving car only to feel like you are still moving? Most of the time, the brain can correct conflicting information to keep a person steady on their feet. Occasionally, however, a person may become off-balance and fall.
Risks of Falling
The risk of falling increases with age, but falls can happen to anyone, at any time, and for many different reasons. Most falls involve different causes or risk factors.
Some of the more common types include:
- Muscle weakness, especially in the legs
- Lack of Vitamin D
- Trouble with walking or balance
- Side effects of medications that cause drowsiness or dizziness
- Poor vision
- Loss of hearing
- Foot pain or improper footwear
- Uneven flooring or stairs
- Clutter in the home
- Consumption of alcohol
- Memory loss, difficulty concentrating or confusion
- Fainting or loss of consciousness
- Incontinence that causes frequent or urgent trips to the bathroom
- Drop in blood pressure
- Walking on ice or wet floors
Fall Prevention in the Home
According to the National Institutes of Health, 6 out of every 10 falls happen in the home.
Many falls can be prevented with a few simple changes:
- Remove throw rugs.
- Tidy up clutter especially in common walking areas.
- Install grab bars especially in the bathroom, hallways and stairways.
- Install non-skid flooring or special decals.
- Keep your home well lit with light switches at the top and bottom of stairs, lamps on bedside tables, night lights in bathrooms, or motion sensor lights in basements, garages and entryways.
- Be prepared with emergency lights in case of power outages as well as flashlights and spare batteries.
- Keep frequently used items in easy reach and use a reacher or "grabber" to take items out of cupboards or off the floor.
- Have your physician periodically check your medications if you have dizziness.
- Stay physically active by taking walks or lifting small weights.
- Get enough sleep.
- Let your primary care provider know if you have fallen, feel unsteady on your feet, or are otherwise afraid of falling during normal activities.
Physical Therapy Helps Prevent Falls
Improving your walking skills – technically known as "gait" – and your balance are interrelated challenges. 1st Choice Physical Therapists help you improve gait and balance to keep the body's different balance and movement systems functioning in harmony. You can master these skills to decrease your risk of injury while increasing your confidence and independence. Gait and balance training benefits you by avoiding injuries associated with falls or dizziness, increasing confidence with your footing and movement, and reducing pain from poor posture or gait.
9 Simple Exercises to Help Prevent Falls
Use a sturdy chair or table for support to do the below exercises. Stop exercising if you feel any unusual pain or discomfort.
- Heel-Toe Stand
Stand tall with two hands on your support. Put one foot straight in front of the other or slight off-center if you find it difficult. Look ahead. Let go of your support and balance for 10 seconds. Return to your starting position and switch feet. Repeat 5-10 times for each leg. - Knee Raises
Start by holding on to your support. Lift your right knee up as far as comfortable. Don't lean to the side. Hold for a few seconds and place the foot down slowly. Repeat 5-10 times on each leg. When your balance improves, try letting go of your support. - Sideways Leg Raises
Stand next to your support and hold if needed. Stand on one leg as your starting position. Keeping your leg straight, raise your leg as far out to the side as possible without pain. Keep your body still and straight without leaning. Hold for a few seconds then bring your leg back down slowly. Repeat 5-10 times on each leg. - Heel Raises
Stand tall holding your support if needed. Lift your heels off the floor taking your weight onto your toes. Hold for 2-10 seconds then lower slowly with control. Repeat 5-10 times. - Calf Stretch
Stand tall holding your support. Place your left foot back while keeping your heel on the floor. Bend your right knee and lean toward the support until you feel a slight stretch. - Sit-to-Stand
Start by sitting in a chair. Take a deep breath and as you exhale slowly push up off the chair using your leg muscles. As you do this, lean your chest forward slightly and press your hands into your thighs for support. Stand up straight and take another deep breath. Making sure the backs of your legs are touching the chair, slowly return to a sitting position as you exhale. Repeat 5-10 times. - Mini Squat
Holding the back of your support, stand with your feet hip width apart. Move your hips back while slightly bending your knees as if you are just starting to sit into a chair. Squeeze your thigh muscles as you hold this position. Push through your feet to return to a standing position. - Vestibulo Ocular Reflex (Eye Exercise for Gaze Stabilization)
Make a card with a large X in the middle or use the back of a 1st Choice Physical Therapist's business card which has a purple sun on it. Sit in a chair and hold the card arm's length at eye level. Focus your eyes on the X or sun and slowly move your head side to side keeping the X or sun in focus and stationary at all times. Make the head movements faster, again keeping the X or sun in focus and stationary. Do this for 1 minute. Take a break and repeat with moving your head up and down. Challenge yourself to move faster as long as you keep the X in focus and stationary. - Vestibular Saccades (Eye Exercise)
Sit in a chair. Hold up your index fingers on both hands 12" apart at eye level and arm's length. Hold your head still and look at your right index finger; now turn your head toward the right index finger. Then hold your head still and look at your left index finger; turn your head toward the left index finger. Continue moving first eyes then head from right index finger to left for 1 minute.
Our passion as physical therapists is to make you as independent as possible and to help you strive to be the best version of yourself physically so that you can return to all the things you love. Physical therapy should always be considered first as we provide more than just treatment for your symptoms; rather, we find the cause of the symptoms and help to conservatively manage or eliminate the source. It is through physical therapy that your pain can be reduced, your body strengthened, your dizziness eliminated, and your balance improved to prevent injury that might occur while you are doing the things you love.
