A new study done by The American Physical Therapy Association finds that exercise intervention is an effective way to reduce both the risk of falls and the number of falls among adults 65 and older.
Some key findings were:
- Exercise interventions performed by a trained health care professional reduces risk of falls greater than 31%, states
- Exercise interventions performed by non-trained health care professionals still had an 18% lower risk of fall
- Exercises focused on walking, coordination, balance, and functional task training reduced the risk of falls in patients over the age of 65
- A combination of two or more of these above exercises, reduced falls by 34%
- Balance and functional exercises were reported to be the best results for reducing the long-term risks of falls with an 18 month or more interventions
The article states that “there is high-certainty evidence that falls can be prevented by exercise programs… Exercise reduces both the rate of falls…and the number of people experiencing falls.”
If you think your child is in need of occupational, physical, or speech therapy call us today to set up a FREE screening at 586-323-2957!
Written by: Sarah Jacobs, PTA
