Physical Therapy Prevents Falls and Saves Lives

According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older adults, and falls generate astronomical economic and personal healthcare costs. That’s why FYZICAL aims to prevent future falls by providing premier balance therapy.

Physical therapy is an effective method for helping older adults and imbalanced patients regain their independence. However, many are unaware that physical therapy is an option for regaining balance and fall prevention. For the first 30 days of Fall, FYZICAL is promoting fall risk awareness all over the US. 

By driving awareness of physical therapy as an option for fall prevention and balance retraining, FYZICAL will ultimately save more lives and cut down on future healthcare costs. Here are three ways FYZICAL is bringing awareness to fall risk all month long:

#1: Talking to Patients about Fall Risk

Step one is talking to current patients about fall risk. Patients already in the clinic to rehab an injury or manage pain, may also be at risk of falls. FYZICAL therapists can identify those at risk and start the conversation about falls.

Physical therapists should be transparent with their patients about the facts about falls:

• One-fourth of Americans 65+ falls each year
• Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall; every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall
• In 2015, the total cost of fall injuries was $50 billion. It is expected to increase as the population ages and may reach $67.7 billion by 2020

Helping patients understand the seriousness of falling, and that there is a solution, is often effective in getting patients interested in balance therapy. All it takes is a conversation to get a patient involved!

#2: Talking to Physicians about Fall Risk

Just as physical therapists already have patients in their clinics at risk of falling, so do other types of physicians. By talking to physicians about fall risk and FYZICAL’s premier balance therapy as a solution, physicians now have a place they can confidently refer their fall risk patients to for balance retraining.

Physicians understand the impact falls have on individuals and healthcare overall, but often don’t know where to send their patients for effective balance therapy. FYZICAL is the only option when it comes to balance therapy – as our FYZICAL therapists are certified by the #1 balance program.

#3: Offering Fall Risk Screenings

During FYZICAL’s national Fight the Fall campaign, many locations will be offering FREE fall risk screenings to patients. Now, more patients can get screened for fall risk and identify their need for balance therapy. The more patients who take fall risk screenings will likely result in fewer falls in the future!

If you’re a patient and you’d like to schedule a fall risk screening, click here to find a FYZICAL location near you offering free screenings.

If you’re a private practice owner, join in on our campaign and help us #FightTheFall by sharing our posts all month long! To learn more about how you can provide premier balance therapy in your physical therapy practice, click here.