Elderly Mobility Problems
Elderly people suffering with mobility issues
Ageing process
The process of ageing involves typical changes such as reduced muscle strength, balance reactions slowing and becoming less sensitive, reduced vision and some arthritic changes. With improvements in health care older people frequently live with a number of medical conditions as well. So there are many factors, individual to each person, that contribute to problems in maintaining activity, independence, cardiovascular fitness. There may also be increased risk of trips and falls. Balance system- vestibular problems are a frequently occurring, eminently treatable, for the most part, problem for older people.
Physiotherapy can help regain mobility & independence
The great news is that appropriate, targeted physiotherapy interventions can make a great difference at any stage. Nipping early problems in the bud is ideal. Unfortunately some people believe they are too frail to benefit from exercise, but the extensive experience in treating older frail people, that all the physios at Nicole Lavin Neurological Rehabilitation have makes them passionate about the delivery of evidence based treatment that can make such a difference in helping older, even very frail people including people with dementia, to make progress – achieve more of the things that are important to them. For people who are frail or unwell treatment must be carefully paced and progressed. Many clients and their relatives have been amazed at what has been achieved, progress is often quicker than they would anticipate.
NICE Guidelines:
Older people with recurrent falls or at a increased risk of falling are to be considered for an individualised multi-based strength and balance training, hazard assessment and intervention.
Cochrane Review (Sherrington et al., 2019):
Exercise reduces falls by 23%. -that refers to various exercise approaches not necessary led by physiotherapists, we would expect a much greater, benefit from treatment delivered from therapists at the practice.
%
Reduced Falls
Over recent years more and more scientific evidence has supported the benefits of exercise in more and more situations, for example:
- Reducing falls risk
- Reduced pain and severity of arthritis,
- Cardiac health -reducing the impact of established cardiac conditions
- Improved energy levels
- Bone health -positive effects in reducing risk of fractures and improving recovery times
- Stopping onset or reducing severity of diabetes
- Improving emotional wellbeing
- Reducing extent of dementia
- Extending life expectancy
- flexibility
- stamina
- endurance
- power
- co-ordination
- balance
- skillfull handling to assist more normal body alignment and movement
- soft tissue mobilizations – massage to reduce stiffness in muscles,
- advice on appropriate aids and equipment
For more information we will be happy to talk to you.
Call us on 0113 2508833 or click button to send a message…