A fall and balance assessment might be appropriate if a patient has experienced a recent fall or have felt increasingly unsteady on their feet. During the assessment, our physical therapists look at several different factors that might contribute to falls or unsteadiness including: strength and sensation of the lower body, posture, proprioceptive system (the body’s internal feedback system), reaction abilities when balance is challenged. RCA Physical Therapy will perform standardized gait and balance tests and will also discuss strategies to make a patient’s home a safer place.
Patient that may benefit from this type of therapy may include seniors, patients with diabetes, and lower extremity weakness, Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and other neurological conditions such as a stroke and after brain surgery.
At RCA Physical Therapy, a specifically designed exercise program is implemented for each individual based on the findings of the fall and balance assessment. In general, exercises often involve stretching and strengthening of the legs, balance exercises in different positions and with different environments, postural education and practice walking over various surfaces.
