By Dr. Mitch Hackerman, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT of FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers Cape May
It’s great that the community is finally acknowledging the importance of addressing fitness and balance. As a result, many great programs have cropped up and are being offered at area churches, senior centers and other similar venues. While these programs help with participants’ fitness and balance and educate them on potential hazards in their home, there is a dangerous, although unintentional, message being purveyed. While I’m sure there are instructors who advise participants to obtain a full balance examination by medical and rehab professionals, this does not appear to be standard advice.
Unfortunately, I have encountered individuals who have made the assumption that these classes alone were sufficient to ensure their balance health and reduce their risk for falls. I tried to provide a free lecture at a church, however, I never got to meet the Priest in charge. Why? Because they already have nuns trained to teach a balance class to their members. The false assumption that their members are getting sufficient training could actually be detrimental to their physical health. I applaud those who provide these classes for their endeavors, as they truly provide a valuable service. However, you need to receive a full examination by a medical and rehab specialist. Depending upon the nature of your balance deficits, it is wise to also see an Otolaryngologist and/or and Ear Nose Throat doctor, and to receive an exam from an Audiologist. Call us first as we, at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers Cape May, can help coordinate your needed care and ensure you get the proper attention from the entire medical/rehab team.
As much as I advocate for these classes, there is much more to one’s balance than can be addressed during a group exercise class by non-rehab specialists. Before I relate other components that need to be addressed, one needs to consider some startling statistics:
- Those who fall are three times more likely to fall again.
- Patients who fall that have to go to the emergency room cost on average $20,000 per event.
- Over 53 percent of patients discharged from the emergency room due to a fall are likely to fall again within six months.
- One in three patients over 65 years old falls each year.
- One in two patients over 80 years old falls each year.
- When a patient falls and there is a hip fracture, one out of five of these patients will die within the first year.
- Women sustain three-quarters of all the hip fractures.
- One out of three patients remains in a nursing home for an extended period after a fracture.
- Each year, over 2.2 million people go to their doctor for problems with dizziness.
Proper balance allows you to see clearly while moving, knowing where your body is in space. You know your leg is extended while walking; you know you are upright; you can determine direction and speed of movement, and make automatic postural adjustments to maintain posture and stability in various conditions and activities.
Balance is achieved using vision (sight), proprioception (touch) and the vestibular system (motion, equilibrium, spatial orientation); integration of this information; and nerve impulses to the eyes and muscles of the body. Disease, certain drugs, injuries and/or even the aging process can affect one or more of these mechanisms. Aging affects every sensory system in the body, including one’s ability to balance themselves. People who are sedentary, either through voluntary inactivity or due to illness or injury, gradually lose their ability to maintain their balance. If you can’t stand, have difficulty standing or struggle to put your leg into your pant leg without losing your balance, you certainly need to be evaluated. If you have dizziness and/or vertigo (the sensation of the room spinning), it is important to receive care right away.
At FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers, a thorough examination of your balance is performed. We examine how well you do with your eyes open and closed, and how well you stand on firm surfaces and even various unstable surfaces. We incorporate various head movements and body movements which all influence your ability to balance. We determine your specific deficits, and we gear our care around your specific needs. The complexity of balance training most people need goes well beyond what you can acquire in a group class offered at the aforementioned venues, however, they serve as a great adjunct.
We are also the exclusive providers of a patented Safety Overhead Fall Protection System (SOS) and offer specialized protocols exclusive to FYZICAL centers. The SOS allows us to take you beyond what can be done at other physical therapy centers. The SOS consists of a high-performance overhead aluminum track and trolley mounted to the celling. Regardless as to how much you weigh, the harness system prevents patients from falling during very complex balance training, which instills confidence. You cannot fall and injure yourself. The system allows you to elicit and practice protective reactions in the event of a fall and provides support for you during all aspects of physical therapy, including sit-to-stand, walking, balance training and climbing stairs. The versatility of our SOS system can significantly improve your rehab potential post leg, hip fracture or joint replacement, too. Being able to increase the complexity of your balance training in a safer environment after injury or surgery makes a huge difference. Additionally, patients with inner ear problems (Vestibular dysfunction) can train in ways they could not train otherwise. FYZICAL also offers related balance training devices such as Biodex Balance System SD, Shuttle Sport and more.
Call (609) 884-9800 for a free consultation, and allow us to help you love your life again! Don’t forget, your physician is likely employed, and as such may be obligated to send patients to his/her employer’s physical therapy center. However, you have the right to choose where you go. Those who compare us choose us!
See amazing testimonials and actual video of patient treatments on the “Testimonials” page at www.CapeMayFyzicalTherapy.com. Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers is located at 650 Townbank Rd., Suite 203, North Cape May.
Dr. Mitch Hackerman, PT, DPT is certified in the following procedures: LSVT BIG (Parkinson’s), McKenzie- Approach (back/neck/specialized manual therapy and therapeutic exercise), Augmented-Soft-Tissue-Mobilization, Selective-Functional-Movements-Assessment, Laser Therapy for pain and inflammation, Vestibular/Balance – American Institute of Balance & FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers, and Neuromuscular Soft Tissue Mobilization.
FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers – Spelled Different Because We Are Different!
