As you age, your body may begin to get weaker. This could lead to difficulties with your activities of daily living; such as getting in and out of chairs/sofas, getting in and out of your car, carrying household items (gallon of milk), and picking up your loved ones (grandkids). Many older patients, generally 65 and older, begin to feel unsteady on their feet. Which places you at a risk for falls. For many of you feeling unsteady, it also could be a feeling of dizziness or vertigo. This is a vestibular issue, which all of our facilities can help with as well. Watch the video above to hear how the anti-gravity treadmill helped Helen. For those 65 and older patients experiencing trouble with your gait (walking pattern), you are a candidate to utilize our amazing, AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmills. These amazing treadmills, developed by NASA, give us the ability to adjust your body weight in 1% increments. Why is this valuable? It is valuable because, we can adjust your natural body weight, allowing us to correct a dysfunctional gait, or just simply strengthen and build your endurance. As you begin to get a stronger, more confident gait, we will gradually re-introduce your body weight. This will gradually make it more difficult for you to walk, which will help us make you stronger over the course of a few weeks. Just because you are getting older doesn’t mean you need to slow down. Our therapists are here to help you get back to feeling confident on your feet and not feeling limited in your daily activities. What Can Our 65 and Older Clients Expect? On your first appointment, you will meet with a physical therapist that specializes in your condition/injury. This will ensure you are receiving the best care we can provide. If you are a post-surgical patient or have a prescription from your referring doctor, your physical therapist will review your doctor’s requests. Your physical therapist will then ask you a series of questions as to how long you have been feeling discomfort, where the affected/injured area is, and when does this discomfort happen. Along with these questions, your therapist will do a series of physical tests to understand your current strength, a range of motion, and pain levels. Based on the above evaluation, your physical therapist will discuss your future treatment plan, how long you will have to come to therapy, and what you can expect over that time frame. You will have the opportunity to ask as many questions about the 65 and Older program as you need, to feel comfortable about the road ahead and to understand your treatment plan.
