Research and News
Posts tagged fall prevention
Balance training effective at reducing falls and improving function
Apr 6th
Fall prevention exercise programs are becoming increasingly popular. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of strength and balance exercises in reducing the risk of falls in older adults. National organizations such as the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend a multi-factoral approach to fall prevention because of the numerous risk factors. Approximately 1/3 of older adults sustain falls every year in the United States, costing over $19 billion in healthcare costs.
Physical therapist researchers at Cal State University Northridge performed a study to determine the effectiveness of a balance exercise training program on strength, balance, gait, and fall risk in 23 healthy community-dwelling older adults at risk for falls. Subjects were randomly assigned to an exercise group or non-exercising control group. The exercise group performed a small group-based balance program, “A Matter of Balance” for 12 weeks, three times a week in a class setting at the PT department.
According to the authors, the exercises included balance exercises standing on foam surfaces and balance boards, as well as squats with an exercise ball. Interestingly, there was no resistive strengthening component in their description of the exercise program, although the original “A Matter of Balance” program developed at Boston More >
Thera-Band® exercise helps improve bone density and reduce falls in osteoporosis
Feb 24th
It’s been well-established that exercise has numerous health benefits, yet it is only relatively recently that exercise has been shown safe and effective at improving health and quality of life in older adults.
Recent recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and American College of Sports Medicine include strengthening exercises for older adults at least twice a week. Strength training can improve muscular strength, power and endurance in older adults. In addition, strength training can increase bone mass or decrease bone mass loss which is particularly important in women with osteoporosis. Falls in osteoporotic women in particular often lead to fractures of the hip, back, and arm.
Researchers in Germany set out to determine if a well-rounded exercise program that included Thera-Band® resistance bands would be effective at increasing bone density, decreasing falls, and improving cardiovascular risk factors in older women. In the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 246 women over 65 years old were randomly assigned to either a high-intensity/low volume “well-rounded” exercise program, or a low-intensity “wellness” exercise control group. The 18 month exercise program included 2 group sessions per week and 2 home-based sessions per week.
The well-rounded exercise group protocol included cardiovascular warm-up exercises, upper body strengthening exercise using More >
Fall Prevention Conference Features Thera-Band Products
Aug 6th
Dr. Michael Rogers, Chair and Professor of the Department of Human Performance Studies at Wichita State University recently gave several presentations at the Louisiana Fall Prevention Conference in Lafayette. The conference, sponsored by the Louisiana Office of Public Health, was attended by over 60 representatives of healthcare, government, and senior centers. In addition to providing the keynote address, Dr. Rogers demonstrated his scientifically-proven fall prevention program, Standing Strong in several workshops. The Standing Strong program features Thera-Band products such as elastic bands and Stability Trainers to progressively challenge the systems controlling balance. Rogers noted, “Standing Strong is a practical and easy-to-implement program using readily available equipment. We use the elastic bands for both strength training and balance training because they are so convenient and versatile.” See photos from the event here from Flikr.
Simple Exercises to Prevent Falls
Apr 6th
Researchers in Portugal investigated the effects of 2 simple strengthening exercises using Thera-Band® resistance bands. The randomized, controlled study , published in Geriatrics and Gerontology International, included 48 institutionalized older adults. Subjects were tested before and after the program on ankle strength, functional mobility, and balance. The 2 exercises, ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, were performed 3 times a week for 6 weeks, and gradually progressed by increasing the color level of the Thera-Band resistance.
Thera-Band Ankle Plantarflexion
After 6 weeks, the researchers found significant increases in ankle strength (dorsiflexion and plantarflexion), as well as significant increases in functional mobility and balance. The gain in ankle strength was significantly associated with improvement in dynamic balance. There was no significant change in the control group. The researchers concluded, the low cost strength training program may provide a ”modest degree of protection from injurious falls among these institutionalized older adults.”
Riberio et al. Impact of low cost strength training of dorsi- and plantar flexors on balance and functional mobility in institutionalized elderly people.Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2009 Mar;9(1):75-80.
