7 Ways to Improve Balance and Stop Worrying About Another Fall

Hey Team,

With this being the first day of December, it is good for you to know we are starting our Balance Awareness campaign at our office.  

We chose this month because the snow will be flying, people will be falling, and the effects of poor balance will be felt.  

Once we lose balance… it is challenging to regain.  But why?  

Why is balance so hard to improve once lost?  Many factors affect balance, as the coordination of all these inputs by the brain is complex.  

Once a few of your systems start to have an issue…balance is affected.  

>>>>VIDEO UPDATE:In-depth Balance Video CLICK HERE<<<<

Today, we look at 7 factors you need to consider… and start to train… to make the most of a balance program.  

We present these as we want you to have the absolute best opportunity to reduce falls, improve stability, maintain independence, and avoid the dreaded nursing home!

EXTERNAL FACTORS

 I will preface our current list of factors with one main factor: The External. External factors are all the circumstances surrounding our daily lives, leading to a fall, loss of balance, or a stumble.

Factors outside our body are external. What would this be? Think around your home.

Do you have a loose rug, shoes/clothing laying on the floor, or furniture within a common path requiring shifting to occur to pass? These are all external factors.

An external factor to balance can be anything in your home or environment, creating a likely situation for a trip or fall. Others may include an icy front step, a rambunctious dog, or liquid on the linoleum floor. External factors, when preventively maintained, are controllable. 

7 "OTHER" FACTORS

Now that we reviewed the external factors, what are the seven internal factors affecting balance?

Strength: The amount of force an individual has, particularly to the lower extremities, will be a factor in balance. Often in the clinic, we are treating a patient who is a fall risk with strengthening programs. Strength is one of the critical factors determining if the body will have the ability to respond when the brain interprets a lack of stability.  

Endurance: Many large department stores, malls, or parks have a bench for sitting, and for a good reason. Increased activity of constant duration leads to fatigue. When the surrounding muscles of the lower legs become fatigued, the ability to respond to a demand of the environment becomes more difficult. Many individuals who are at risk of falling have low endurance. 

Coordination: The brain, brain stem, and spinal cord make the Central Nervous System(CNS). The CNS controls the peripheral nerves running down the legs and arms. Your ability to process information, and create a fluid movement, runs through this system. Therefore, it is difficult to coordinate the actions needed for balance if you damage the spinal cord or brain. Some examples are spinal cord injury, brain injury, or stroke. 

Flexibility: Each joint has a particular available motion necessary to allow the movement to occur fluidly. Specific motion is required for balance to happen, and when compromised, it affects balance. Limited ankle, knee, hip, or back mobility will affect the body's ability to maintain an efficient posture. Poor posture leads to premature fatigue or a less stable position for balance. Maintaining proper mobility is the key to balance. 

Pain: Pain prevents movement overall. The stimulation provided to the brain is a negative feedback loop, resulting in a lack of activity, but pain also limits walking efficiency. The pain will require you to walk differently, creating instability with balance or will create premature fatigue. Fatigue, as discussed earlier, affects balance. 

Medication: One standard during our clinic evaluations is to review drug interactions in each patient to identify a high risk of falling. Certain medications can create dizziness. Antidepressants, blood pressure medications, muscle relaxants, and medications for peripheral neuropathy, fibromyalgia, or epilepsy are just a few. 

Sensation: As I described last week in testing balance on a foam pad, the pad changes the sensation feedback given through the feet. We use our feet for feedback when too much pressure is on the heel (falling backward) and when too much pressure is on the forefoot (falling forward). However, with disorders disrupting the foot's nerves, such as peripheral neuropathy, the numbness does not allow you to receive feedback properly. 

Ok Team. As you can see… balance is a challenge due to the complexity of this system.  If a small part of the whole system is not functioning well… the result is poor balance and eventually a fall.  

Why is it so important????  

Because as we age, our bones are not as strong as before, therefore one fall can steal our independence.  

We need to do everything possible in our health or fitness to reduce the chance of falling.  If you have questions or concerns about your balance, feel free to reach out to me here, and I would love to help.  Rob@sumnerpt.com 

ADDED BONUS:  Here is a video on the "7 Other Factors".  This will give you an in-depth view of these factors.