Have you ever felt unsteady while walking, as if you might trip? Have you ever tripped and had to grab a nearby railing or piece of furniture to catch yourself? Are you worried about getting hurt if you fall? If this is the case, you may benefit from a fall prevention program at Grand Street Wellness Center in New York, NY.

Unfortunately, most people do not consider how to keep their balance until it is too late and they have already fallen. The good news is that most falls can be avoided by exercising your balance system on a regular basis.

If you are concerned about falling, please contact Grand Street Wellness Center as soon as possible to learn more about fall prevention techniques.

Some people are more prone to falling than others. Some risk factors include:

• Previous history of falls
• Living a sedentary life
• Overall poor health
• Heart disease
• Advanced age
• Problems with vision
• Problems with walking or staying balanced
• Diabetes
• Previous stroke or heart attack
• Arthritis or alternative joint pain
• Fatigue
• Vertigo or dizziness
• Being female
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease

Our New York, NY physical therapist will go over your medical history with you to identify any risk factors. They will then explain how this will affect your treatment and how you can lower your risk of falling. Following that, your therapist will perform a comprehensive physical examination to determine the best treatment plan for you.

Your initial physical exam at Grand Street Wellness Center may include vision tests, resting, and active heart rate checks, gait, balance, range of motion, and strength tests. Based on the results of these exams, our physical therapist will create a personalized treatment plan for you.

The following are some examples of common therapeutic methods that you may come across in your treatment plans:

Strengthening exercises

Our physical therapist will design a strength training program just for you. This plan will focus on specific muscle groups that need to be strengthened. This will improve your standing and walking balance, as well as your ability to recover from a fall.

Balance exercises

As part of your treatment plan, you may be required to perform specific balance-based exercises. Standing on one leg or maintaining your balance while performing an intellectually demanding task (such as reciting the alphabet or reading a page from a book) are examples of this.

Pain management

Your treatment plan will address any pain you are experiencing as soon as possible.

Endurance training

Our physical therapist will create an aerobic training program for you that will gradually increase in difficulty as your stamina improves.

Programs for walking

This section of your treatment plan is dedicated to restoring your normal physical function while walking and/or moving. Your physical therapist may instruct you to walk in a circle or complete an obstacle course to improve your balance.

At Grand Street Wellness Center, our primary goal is to help you avoid falls and regain confidence in your balance. If you’re ready to improve your balance and reduce your chances of sustaining a fall-related injury, make an appointment with our New York, NY physical therapy clinic and get started right away!