Balance and Falls Prevention

Clients shouldn't settle for "I'm just clumsy" or "Being off-balance is a normal part of getting old!"

There are almost-always specific reasons why a person is off-balance, each of which can be addressed to one degree or another.

For those at low-to-medium risk of falling, education- and exercise-based intervention (such as strength training and balance exercises) are effective at reducing the risk of falls - as well as giving a number of other benefits.

For those at higher risk of falling, exercise alone is often not enough to minimise the risk of falling. In these cases a more thorough assessment, and often more than one healthcare professional, is required. A treatment plan can then be created, based on an individual's needs and preferences.

Other elements of the assessment and treatment may include:

• The home environment

• Feet and footwear

• Vision, lighting and spatial awareness

• Vestibular (inner ear) function and dizziness

• Strength, flexibility and pain

• Walking aids (sticks, hiking poles, frames, etc)

• Cardiovascular fitness

• Mental health, cognition and sleep

• Incontinence (and other things that might make somebody rush)

• Working with your doctor to best manage any related health conditions

• Helping clients find support services such as My Aged Care

Source: Task Force on Global Guidelines for Falls in Older Adults. (2022). World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: A global initiative. Age and Ageing, 51(9). https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac205 .

For more information on Physiotherapy and balance, visit Choose.Physio