Foot and Ankle Balance Tips to Reduce The Risk of Falls

Introduction

"I seem to be more prone to accidental falls." Aging increases the risk of accidental falls. Falls and loss of balance can stem from degeneration of bones and muscles, which leads to compromised joint mobility. Other factors such as visual impairment and illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and gout may further increase one's risk for falls.

Signs of Balance Problems

What are the signs you have a balance problem and increased fall risk?

• Sensations of falling or floating

• Dizziness

• Clumsiness or repeated falls

• Staggering when walking

Usually, the problem with balance and falls are misconstrued as eye problems as the patients are not able to see where they are going. High blood or low blood pressure with dizziness may also contribute to loss of balance.

How we can help you

We will undertake a series of steps to help you reduce the incidences of falls and balance issues, and identify the cause and severity of balance and falling problems. We will be asking you about your symptoms to determine whether the imbalance is due to age-related muscular or joint issues or other medical conditions.

What We Examine

• Your feet and ankles

• The way you walk

• Your balance and stability

• Your posture

Assessment Tools

Our Body-Tech machine allows us to analyse and understand the way that you walk and your balance in detail. This machine uses a unique combination of a treadmill, pressure sensors and slow motion cameras.

One of the initial tests we may perform is the "Get Up and Go" test. This test checks the ability of the patient to stand up from a sitting position, walk and go back to the same sitting position after three meters. The test is assessed from a scale of one to five, with one being normal and five being severe.

Another test we can do is the Tinetti Balance and Gait Test. This 16-item test checks the balance of the patient from walking to turning and the maintenance of their balance capability, even with eyes closed. We can use the results of this test to predict your risk of having a fall.

Treatment Solutions

Based on our findings, we will recommend the most appropriate intervention to improve your balance and cut your risk of falling. We can recommend supportive footwear, custom orthotics, and foot and ankle exercises, as well as surgery, if necessary.

We then focus on working on the source of foot pain if there is any. This can be from foot deformities on the toes of the patient and puts their balance off greatly. We also treat calluses or bunions to help the patient deal with pain emanating from the foot.

We also recommend you see your medical practitioner in case there are other medical reasons for your balance problems.

Conclusion

If you feel you have a problem with balance, schedule an appointment with us to receive evaluation and proper intervention. Don't wait for accidents to happen to get treatment.