Falls Prevention Physiotherapy Adelaide 

Falls Prevention Physiotherapy Adelaide – Improve Balance, Strength & Confidence

 

Have you noticed that your balance isn't quite what it used to be?

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You may feel less steady walking on uneven ground, find yourself reaching for furniture around the house, feel less confident using stairs, or notice that getting up from a chair or the floor is becoming more difficult.

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For some people, the first warning sign is a near fall. For others, it may be an actual fall or simply a gradual loss of confidence in their balance.

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While changes in balance become more common as we get older, feeling increasingly unsteady shouldn't simply be dismissed as a normal part of ageing.

 

At Body Fit Physiotherapy in North Adelaide, our Falls Prevention Program is designed to understand why your balance or physical capacity may be changing and develop an individualised program to improve the areas that can be addressed.

 

Our goal isn't simply to prevent a fall.

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We want to help you maintain the strength, balance, confidence and physical capacity needed to remain active and independent.

 

Why Does Balance Change as We Get Older?

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Balance is more complex than simply being able to stand on one leg.

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Your brain constantly receives information from multiple systems to understand where your body is in space and keep you upright.

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This includes your:

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• Vision – helping you understand your position relative to your surroundings

• Vestibular system – structures within the inner ear that detect head movement and orientation

• Proprioception – information from your muscles and joints about the position of your body

• Muscle strength and power – allowing you to control movement and respond when you become unstable

• Coordination and reaction time – helping you make quick adjustments when your balance is challenged

 

Changes in any combination of these systems may contribute to feeling less steady.

Other factors such as medications, medical conditions, pain, reduced activity levels, footwear and environmental hazards can also influence falls risk.

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This is why giving everyone the same set of "balance exercises" isn't necessarily the best approach.

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The first step is understanding where your individual difficulties lie.

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How Can Physiotherapy Help With Falls Prevention?

 

Falls prevention physiotherapy aims to identify the physical and functional factors that may be contributing to reduced balance or an increased risk of falling.

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Once we understand those factors, we can develop an exercise program targeted toward the areas that need improving.

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For one person, lower-limb weakness may be a significant issue.

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Another person may have adequate strength but struggle considerably when visual information is removed.

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Someone else may have difficulty reacting quickly enough when their balance is disturbed.

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The program should therefore reflect the individual rather than simply their age.

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What Happens During Our Falls Prevention Assessment?

 

Your initial assessment gives us a baseline understanding of your current strength, balance, mobility and physical capacity.

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1. Understanding Your History

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We start by talking.

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We want to understand whether you've experienced:

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• Previous falls

• Near falls

• Changes in your balance

• Loss of confidence

• Difficulty walking

• Difficulty getting out of a chair

• Problems using stairs

• Difficulty getting up from the floor

• Changes in your usual activity levels

 

We also consider relevant medical conditions, previous injuries, aches and pains and other factors that could influence the program we develop.

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2. Measuring Your Strength

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Strength is an important component of maintaining physical function as we age.

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We assess important lower-limb muscle groups involved in walking, standing, stepping and controlling your body when your balance is challenged.

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Rather than simply assuming that someone is "weak", measuring strength gives us baseline information that can help guide exercise selection and monitor progress over time.

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3. Assessing Your Balance

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We then assess your balance under different conditions.

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Balance depends on information coming from multiple systems, so simply asking someone to stand on one leg doesn't necessarily tell us why they are becoming unsteady.

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Where appropriate, we may challenge the contribution of your:

 

Visual system

Many people become increasingly reliant on their vision for balance as they get older. This can become noticeable when walking in poor lighting or when closing your eyes.

 

Vestibular system

Your inner ear provides important information about movement and the position of your head.

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Proprioception

Your muscles and joints constantly provide information to your brain about where your body is positioned.

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Understanding how you respond when these systems are challenged can provide useful information when developing your balance program.

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4. Assessing Walking and Functional Capacity

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Where appropriate, we may also assess walking and functional tasks.

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Ultimately, improving a test result isn't the main goal.

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We want improvements to translate into everyday activities such as:

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• Walking confidently

• Negotiating uneven ground

• Using stairs

• Getting out of a chair

• Getting up from the floor

• Moving around the community

• Continuing recreational activities

• Remaining independent at home

5. Developing Your Individualised Program

Once we've completed your assessment, we develop a program around the areas we've identified.

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This may include a combination of:

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• Progressive lower-limb strengthening

• Balance exercises

• Stepping and reaction exercises

• Functional exercises

• Walking and conditioning

• Exercises that challenge different sensory systems

 

The difficulty of the program can then be progressed as your capacity improves.

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What Exercises Are Best for Preventing Falls?

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There isn't one single "best" balance exercise.

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Effective falls-prevention exercise generally involves exercises that appropriately challenge balance and build the physical capacity needed for everyday movement.

This can include both balance training and progressive strength training.

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Importantly, exercises need to be sufficiently challenging to create adaptation while remaining appropriate for the individual performing them.

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That's one reason an individual assessment can be valuable before beginning a falls-prevention program.

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Is Walking Enough to Improve Balance?

 

Walking is an excellent form of physical activity and provides significant benefits for cardiovascular health, mobility and general wellbeing.

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However, walking doesn't necessarily provide enough challenge to substantially improve every component of balance or lower-limb strength.

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Someone can walk regularly and still have significant weakness or difficulty when their balance is challenged.

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For many older adults, walking is best viewed as one part of a broader exercise program that also includes appropriate strength and balance training.

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Who May Benefit From a Falls Prevention Assessment?

 

Our Falls Prevention Program may be appropriate if you:

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• Have experienced a fall

• Have had one or more near falls

• Feel increasingly unsteady

• Have become less confident walking

• Find yourself holding onto furniture

• Struggle more on uneven ground

• Feel considerably less stable in poor lighting

• Are finding stairs increasingly difficult

• Have noticed your legs becoming weaker

• Are struggling to get out of a chair or up from the floor

• Have reduced your activities because you're worried about falling

• Simply want to understand your current strength and balance before problems become more significant

 

You don't necessarily need to wait until you've had a fall.

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Changes in strength, balance and confidence can be reasons to assess your physical capacity earlier.

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Our Goal Is Bigger Than Preventing Falls

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Preventing falls matters.

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But our overall goal is broader.

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We want you to have enough physical reserve to continue doing the activities that are important to you.

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That might mean continuing to live independently, walking to the shops, playing with grandchildren, gardening, travelling, exercising or simply moving around your home with greater confidence.

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Maintaining strength and balance is ultimately about maintaining capacity, confidence and independence.

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Falls Prevention Physiotherapy in North Adelaide

 

Body Fit Physiotherapy provides individualised Falls Prevention Physiotherapy from our clinic in North Adelaide.

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Our physiotherapists use assessment, strength and conditioning and progressive balance training to develop a program around your current capacity, medical history and goals.

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Depending on your needs and preferences, your program can then be progressed over time as your strength, balance and confidence improve.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Do I need to have had a fall before seeing a physiotherapist?

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No. A fall isn't necessarily the first indication that balance or strength is changing. Near falls, increasing unsteadiness, loss of confidence or difficulty with everyday activities may all be reasons to have your balance and physical capacity assessed.

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Can balance improve as you get older?

 

Ageing can affect multiple systems involved in balance, but many physical contributors to balance can be assessed and trained. The appropriate program will depend on the factors contributing to your individual difficulties.

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Why am I more unsteady when I close my eyes?

 

Vision is one of the major sources of information your brain uses to maintain balance. If you have become more reliant on visual information, removing vision can make balancing considerably more difficult.

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Does leg strength affect balance?

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Yes. Lower-limb strength and power help you control movement and produce the force needed to recover when your balance is challenged. Strength is therefore an important component of physical capacity and falls prevention.

 

How often should I perform balance exercises?

 

This depends on your current capacity, the exercises selected and your overall program. Rather than simply performing more exercises, the goal is to use exercises that appropriately challenge the areas you need to improve and progress them over time.

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Learn More About Balance and Falls Prevention

 

We've developed a growing library of physiotherapy resources answering common questions about balance, strength and healthy ageing.

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You may also be interested in:

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Why Balance Declines as We Age and How Physiotherapy Can Help?

Why Am I Becoming More Unsteady as I Get Older?

Is Losing My Balance Normal as I Get Older?

Why Am I Losing My Balance as I Get Older?

Why Is It Harder to Balance With Your Eyes Closed?

Why People Over 50 Need Strength Training: Protect Your Independence, Health, and Quality of Life

Why Balance Declines After 50 — And the Proven Exercises to Improve It

Balance, Falls & Strength: Why Every Adult Over 50 Should Be Training Their Balance Now

 

These resources explain different components of balance and physical capacity in more detail.

 

Take the First Step

 

If you've noticed your balance changing, experienced a fall or near fall, or want to understand where your current strength and balance sit, an assessment can help identify the areas that may benefit from attention.

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At Body Fit Physiotherapy, our goal is to help you develop the strength, balance and confidence to continue doing the things that are important to you.

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If you'd like to find out whether our Falls Prevention Program is appropriate for you, contact our team or book an initial assessment.​