In a study called ‘Key Facts on Falls’ published by the British Geriatrics Society in 2010, the most common causes for the falls experienced by older people were identified.
The primary causes include muscle weakness, problems with balance and walking, problems with vision, cognitive impairment, postural hypotension (a fall in blood pressure on standing) and reduced activities of daily living.
The study’s findings demonstrated that out of a population of 320,000, 15,500 will have a fall in any one year andaround half of these will fall more than once. Approximately 2,200 will need to attend the accident and emergency department of a hospital after a fall and of this number, about half will have a fracture of some kind. About 360 of these fractures will be a potentially life-threatening fractures of the hip.
Injuries resulting from falls are the most common cause of death amongst the elderly population (those aged over 75) in the United Kingdom.
Fear Of Falling
Fear of falling – or injuring themselves again after experiencing a painful fall can have serious effects on the confidence of an older person and can be very detrimental to their independence. It can cause problems with coping with the normal tasks of everyday life such as washing, dressing and preparing a meal.
The emotional effects of an unwillingness to go out in case of another fall and the consequent withdrawal from socializing with friends and family are well documented – and can lead to depression and deterioration in cognitive function.
There is no doubt that preventing falls in older people is much more preferable than treating the consequences – and this is where Chiropractic care can be so beneficial.
How Can Chiropractic Help?
Many experts suggest that the spinal manipulative therapy and the manual adjustments provided by Chiropractors can be very effective in managing a number of medical problems and the pain and mobility problems arising as a result.
The pain of musculoskeletal problems can affect both gait and balance. Chiropractic can help with the chronic pain of conditions such as osteoarthritis and by treating the pain and stiffness in joints effectively decreasing the risk of falling.
Doctors would normally treat most of these conditions with prescription medications, but as an effective alternative, Chiropractic care can have an indirect role in helping to reduce the risk of falls. Chiropractic manipulation can reduce the pain and stiffness caused by the problems and as a result, it may be possible for the patient’s Doctor to reduce the amount of medication prescribed.
Powerful prescription medications can cause some patients to experience side effects such as dizziness or ‘light-headedness’ that can that can increase the likelihood of a fall, so being able to eliminate or reduce the need for them could also reduce the risk of falling.
Take Action Today
If you are in the age group where fear of falling (or falling again) due to pain or mobility problems is becoming a concern that is stopping you from enjoying life to the full, or if you have a family member who falls into this category, why not contact Bradford House Chiropractic Clinic to arrange an assessment? Chiropractic care could help to get that spring back in your step, with better balance, less joint pain and stiffness and improved confidence. Call us on 01962 861188.
Sources:
(https://www.chiropracticresearchreview.com/crr/article.php?id=38)
https://chiro.org/wordpress/2012/07/20/chiropractic-may-reduce-deaths-and-injuries-from-falls-among-older-people/
https://www.tihcij.com/Articles/Geriatric-Chiropractic-Care-as-a-Health-Promotion-and-Disease-Prevention-Initiative-Focus-on-Fall-Prevention.aspx?id=0000234
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2786230/
