It was National Falls Prevention Awareness Week in the USA 2 weeks ago. In honour of that, the American physical therapy association, posted some recent research on the topic. I’ve done a quick summary of their summaries! I’ve linked to their site if you want more information on each study.
Falls are a “major issue” for middle-aged women and it is recommended that they be a target for Falls prevention efforts.
Lack of Physical Activity is a Risk Factor for Falls.
Regardless of age, there is a consistent link between the lack of physical activity and a higher rate of falls. Also, regardless of age, these falls can be prevented with increased physical fitness.
Researchers tracked 344 older adults who received a home-based strength and balance retraining exercise program and found a significant reduction in the rate of fallscompared with participants who received “usual geriatric care”.
Another study looked at two emergency departments and tracked information for 21 months. One took a “usual care” approach to treating falls-related admissions and the second added a falls prevention consultation with a physical therapist. Patients who received the physiotherapy consultation were half as likely to experience a subsequent visit to the emergency department and one-third as likely to visit the ER for another fall-related injury.
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