Did you know? One of the most common causes of reducing an individual's independence is injury from falls, which can result in serious injury in 1 out of 5 falls. These serious injuries can lead to increased morbidity, mortality, loss of income due to time off work recovering, and for the elderly, potential rehab or nursing home placement.
Understanding Fall Risk Factors![Preventing Falls | Experienced Idaho Podiatrist]()
Certain factors increase an individual's fall risk, including:
- Muscle weakness
- Use of multiple prescription medications
- History of falls
- Arthritis
- Use of assistive devices
- Impairments in gait, vision, balance, and cognition
- Age over 80 years
Effective Fall Prevention Strategies
The most effective fall prevention regimen focuses on:
- Muscle strength exercises
- Balance training
- Improving stable footwear
- Improving flexibility through regular stretching
- Reduction in the use of psychotropic medications
Additional risk reduction includes clearing home areas of obstacles. For elderly patients, their physician can perform a fall risk assessment and provide counseling on reducing fall risk and instability. Our diabetic foot care specialists can also help assess specific risks for patients with diabetes.
The Foundation: Proper Footwear
To bring this back to the ground, let's focus on what contacts the ground first—footwear.
Essential Footwear Features:
- Well-structured materials: Shoes should be made of firm materials to help with foot stability. Soft, flimsy materials do not provide stable foot contact with the ground and can increase fall risk.
- Appropriate cushioning: Shoes with excessive cushion are like standing on a mattress and cause balance problems.
- Non-slip soles: Soles should be made of non-slip materials with deep tread patterns that can handle both dry and wet surface conditions to prevent slipping.
- Good arch supports: Quality arch support adds stability and helps lock the foot into a firm position for a more stable foundation.
- Adjustable closures: Ensure shoes have adjustable closures to guarantee a secure fit.
- Low heels: Keep heels low—high heels can cause instability due to foot structure, creating too much movement and increasing instability.
Stability-Enhancing Exercises
Beyond footwear, specific exercises can dramatically improve a person's stability and reduce fall risk. If you're interested in returning to physical activity, learn about sports injury prevention to keep your feet healthy during exercise.
Strength Training
Strengthening the legs helps create both stability and endurance. Start slowly and allow your muscles to adapt to the exercises gradually.
Balance-Focused Exercises
Exercises that dramatically improve stability include those focusing on balance training:
- Pilates
- Tai Chi
- Yoga
- Resistance band exercises
- Isometric exercises
These activities improve balance and stability, thus decreasing fall risk.
