By: Sports PT Blog Team
Growing older comes with many joys, but it also brings many challenges. Some may feel that aging is synonymous with declining physical abilities, but this is simply not true. Another myth of aging is that falls are normal and just a part of growing older – this is a completely false misconception.
Each year, a third of adults over the age of 65 will suffer from a fall; many of which cause serious health complications such as fractures or trauma. For this population of adults, falls are the number-one reason for loss of independence. And some of these falls may even result in injuries that turn fatal.
Did you know?
40% of all concussions are a result of falls
More than half (55%) of traumatic brain injuries among children 0 to 14 years old were caused by falls
81% of traumatic brain injuries in adults aged 65 and older are caused by falls
Getting screened for your individual falls risk assessment can prevent or drastically reduce the chances of falling. Since falling is often associated with serious head injury, it is worth the 20 minutes to see what risk factors you have in your life. They can be intrinsic or extrinsic risks. Examples of intrinsic risks could be things related to your own strength, balance, fear of falling, or perhaps dizziness. Extrinsic risks could be identified as rug positioning in your home, slippery surfaces, uneven ground, or how your medications interact with each other.
Physical therapists are experts in assessing concussion symptoms as well as performing falls risk assessments. Please contact us at for more information or to schedule a concussion evaluation or falls risk screening.
Reference:
CDC website
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