Feeling Unsteady? New Balance Training for Seniors that Actually Works
We are all familiar with the standardized fall risk assessment used in general medical clinics. It asks questions like, “Have you fallen in the past year?” and “Do you feel unsteady?” Chances are if you are already at the point of fearing for your balance, you are already at a high fall risk. Unfortunately these verbal screenings leave a lot out of the picture.
Slip and Trip Training
CDC’s Stay Independent Questionnaire
Falls Are Preventable: Train Your Balance Like a Muscle
Did you know that falls are not an inevitable part of aging? Just like muscle strength, the physical skills we use every day to keep our balance can get stronger with practice, or weaker if we neglect them.
Neuro physical therapists are specially trained to analyze the physical skills a person has and needs to maintain healthy balance.
Falls are preventable, and just like muscle strength, the physical skills we use every day to keep our balance get stronger with use or weaker with neglect.
Understanding Balance- It’s More Than Standing Still
Balance is a complex skill that involves strength, coordination, and quick reflexes. Neuro physical therapists are trained to analyze and retrain all the systems that contribute to balance. These include:
Anticipatory balance reactions – The movements we make on purpose, like rising from a chair or reaching overhead.
Reactive balance – How we recover when something unexpected happens, like slipping on a wet floor.
Sensory balance – Our ability to feel the ground beneath our feet and sense our body’s position in space.
Dynamic balance – Staying stable while the body is moving, such as walking, turning, or climbing stairs.
Cognitive dual-task cost – Maintaining stability while multitasking, like walking while talking.
Each of these categories can be assessed and improved with specific exercises and training strategies.
The Power of Perturbation-Based Training (PBT)
New research is showing exciting results for improving reactive balance (the ability to recover quickly when you slip or trip) using a method called Perturbation-Based Training (PBT) which simulates a slip-fall.
At Audia Physical Therapy, we use a SoloStep overhead harness system, allowing our clients to practice falling safely.
(As the saying goes, “If you want to get to Carnegie Hall without slipping on an icy sidewalk… practice, practice, practice!”)
The Results Speak for Themselves
In fact, PBT is so effective it only takes a few short practice sessions to see major improvement.
References
Allin LJ, Brolinson PG, Beach BM, Kim S, Nussbaum MA, Roberto KA, Madigan ML. Perturbation-based balance training targeting both slip- and trip-induced falls among older adults: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Geriatr. 2020 Jun 12;20(1):205. doi: 10.1186/s12877-020-01605-9. PMID: 32532221; PMCID: PMC7291462.