The Fear Of Falling In Galesburg IL

As people age there becomes a real deep fear of falling, whether it be in the house or out and about. The truth is that people 65 years and up do in fact experience many more falls. Quickly controlling muscles in order to prevent a fall is the issue at heart. Many seniors display wasting of the large postural muscles of the buttocks, thighs, pelvis, and core. Why is this? Well, many seniors simply let themselves go, and getting motivated to put muscle on the body becomes daunting. “Don’t they make a pill for that?” Don’t laugh. I have been asked that exact question in all seriousness. There is another reason why muscle is so difficult to keep on an older body. This reason is basically kept in the dark. The fact is that statin drugs, which many seniors are routinely prescribed, have the documented nasty side effect of muscle wasting. Yes, if on statins for longer period of time, muscle cells weaken, and overall muscle mass is depleted. This does not bode well for the future.

Let’s discuss three proven ways to sustain and improve balance as we age in Galesburg IL. Keeping good muscle on the body improves posture, steadiness, and fall resistance.

1. Strengthen the core and lower body

One of the best and easiest things we can do for this is to force ourselves to stand on one leg. The fear of falling may indeed be present, so do this one in a hallway so you can easily finger touch the walls. You can bring the non weight bearing leg up to 90 degrees or just let it down by the other ankle. It’s up to you. Challenge both the right and left legs with this action.

Mini squats are very good for building muscle. You do not have to do full, deep squats to benefit. It sure helps if you have a chair right behind you for security. You can even sit/stand if you chose. Altering the stance also helps. Experiment with a wide stance verses the narrow stance.

Force yourself to use the stairs. This is a built-in stepping machine, like at the gym. I know many people avoid the stairs, but why? The stairs are a challenge, and they force large muscles of posture to develop.

Vigorous walking is a great way to keep large, postural muscles strong. The problem is that many people just aren’t too vigorous when they walk. The walking must be business like, pushing firmly off the earth with rapid pace. Treadmills aren’t so good in that the machine actually pulls on the leg. I have seen quite a few people damaged on the treadmill.

2. Practice balance-specific training.

Some of these practices are for the more advanced, fit person. The severely arthritic person will have difficulty, and more risk with these actions.

Heel to toe walking is really awkward walking and will force large, postural muscles to be used. This walking will incorporate longer strides almost of a lunging nature.

Tai Chi is the ancient art of war preparation and it demands much bearing on just one leg at a time. The movements are slow and deliberate, and spinal twisting and wide stances are paramount.

Yoga is a wonderful practice to force balance into the nervous system and the large muscles of core and legs. Yoga really incorporates the changing of head posture as it relates to the pelvis. This is great for what neurologists call proprioception; the sense of where joints actually are in space. If you only like 2 or 3 postures, just do those. You don’t have to spend hours at this stuff. Just do things well.

The use of a wobble board will really force balance into the body. This device is like standing on a board with half a ball glued to the undersurface of the board. The readjusting of balance is constant on a piece like this. It will increase the speed of muscle reaction if you trip or misstep. This action is not for the person who is way out of shape.

Inverting the body is great for better balance. Yes, this means going almost upside down. You may have heard of inversion tables. The feet get locked in as the table rotates the body so the head is below the pelvis. This alone increases blood flow to the brain and reduces nerve pressure in the neck. The chronically ill with high BP will not try this one. The risk may just be too high.

3. Maintain or improve joint mobility/flexibility in Galesburg IL.

This will improve reaction time if a person trips or stumbles. This is all about the chiropractic adjustment. Nothing releases a locked up joint like the spinal adjustment. The neck houses the nerve roots for balance through the middle ear. Bad neck alignment can horribly affect balance.

Daily stretching will be a big enhancer of better balance. Wake up in the morning and begin twisting and tipping the upper body right there in the bed. Don’t cheat yourself. This simple action that literally takes 2 minutes packs in a lot of benefit. Stretching the leg muscles and ankle joints is also a big plus for balance enhancement. Reaction times will be faster if these things are practiced.

Start Now

In conclusion I would like to say please do not wait until you are 65 years old to start these practices. Start when you are younger and keep muscle rolling for a lifetime. Starting any vigorous habit at age 70 would be a tall order. In the end priming for better balance is about challenging movements which may be a bit strange to you. I know a lot of people will not do these things that I recommend. Many people won’t even delve into deep breathing. If you really wish to limit bad falls and broken bones as you age, you surely will do some of these things. Good luck.

Submitted by: Dr. Luke Sakalosky - Galesburg, IL Chiropractor

References

1. Sherrington C. et. al. “Exercise for preventing falls in older people” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019.
2. Howe, TE et.al. “Exercise for improving balance in older people” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2011.
3. Wu G. “ Evaluation of the differences of Tai Chi for improving balance and preventing falls in the older population”. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2002.