Everyone understands how devastating a fall can be. So, it is not only important, but essential that we understand measures we can take to prevent them.
We all know the importance of exercising and keeping our muscles strong. But did you know that the most important muscle to use to prevent falls is your BRAIN! The best way to prevent falls is to think about what you're doing. Athletes concentrate only on the activity in front of them. Walking is your sport and you must concentrate on it as if you were a professional athlete. That means you must do ONE activity at a time. So when you're walking only walk. If you want to have a conversation with your friend, or look at the beautiful flowers, STOP WALKING, and enjoy. When you finish what you are doing you can start walking again.
The next muscle we don't think about are our feet muscles. We exercise many other muscles in our body, but when was the last time you exercised your feet?! They're the muscles that need to be strong to grab the ground. Exercising them can be as simple as rolling a golf ball under them and picking up a small towel with your toes.
Speaking of feet, seeing your podiatrist to keep your feet healthy and having him/her take care of any issues that prevent or reduce sensation to the bottom of your feet is essential. It is important that you be able to feel the ground your walking on.
Lastly, this facility is now offering gentle chiropractic treatment to our residents. Recent studies show that gentle chiropractic mobilization of the lower back, pelvis and hips restores normal walking patterns that prevent falls.
Please speak to your attending physician or unit nurse if this is treatment you're interested in.