Geriatric physical therapy

Bodily function tends to degrade as we age, especially if you do not regularly exercise or are mostly inactive. This can make daily activities that used to be done easily more difficult as our muscles become atrophied and range of motion is limited. Geriatric physical therapy aims to counter this age-related decline in our body’s performance. Peak Performance offers several geriatric physical therapy treatments to keep your body strong well into your golden years.

Vestibular and balance training

One of the biggest risks for geriatric patients is suffering a fall. Vestibular and balance training is one of the most common geriatric physical therapy treatments to help counter the risk of falling. Instability in the core muscles or legs is a risk factor for falling. The physical therapist will perform a gait analysis to identify where there is weakness in the gait and can design a treatment program to increase strength and stability in your legs.

Sometimes it is not muscle weakness that causes falls in geriatric patients, but a feeling of dizziness or vertigo. Vertigo can be caused by small crystals floating in the inner ear that interfere with our sense of balance. Vestibular training helps to alleviate these symptoms. Specific head movements and exercises, such as the Epley maneuver, can be performed to remove these small crystals.

Aquatic therapy

For patients who suffer from arthritis or other conditions where supporting the weight of your body is difficult, aquatic therapy is another useful geriatric physical therapy treatment. There are several benefits to aquatic therapy:

The hydrostatic pressure helps ease tension and pain and increase range of motion
Water provides resistance to help build muscle strength and endurance
The buoyancy of the water reduces weight bearing by up to 90 percent and reduces risk of falls

Aquatic therapy may not be for everyone, though. Patients who are uncomfortable in the water or are unable to swim should avoid this method of therapy. Also, patients who have open wounds or are incontinent would not want to participate in aquatic therapy.