Preventing Falls: How Pain Management Can Help
When was the last time you considered your fall risk? If you’re an older adult, you’ve probably already given it some thought, as falls are a leading cause of injury among seniors. But did you know chronic pain is another significant factor that can increase fall risk?
For this reason, the team at Hands of Hope offers a comprehensive approach to fall prevention by blending advanced pain management techniques with fall prevention strategies like balance training, vestibular therapy, and therapeutic exercise. This approach offers immediate, long-lasting pain relief while helping you address the root causes of pain or mobility restrictions.
Let’s explore fall prevention in more detail–including our unique approach.
Why Fall Prevention Matters
Falls aren’t just momentarily embarrassing–a single fall can profoundly affect your day-to-day life, including suffering a severe injury like a hip fracture or head trauma. Furthermore, fear of falling has its own impact, as it can prevent people from being as active as they should be, which further increases the risk of muscle weakness and future falls.
While several factors can increase your fall risk, older adults with chronic pain issues–such as arthritis or nerve-related conditions–are especially vulnerable. Long-term pain makes staying active even more challenging, resulting in muscle imbalances and poor coordination.
We always tailor our fall prevention programs to meet your unique needs, emphasizing addressing specific risk factors. For example, someone struggling with dizziness or vertigo would benefit from vestibular therapy to help minimize their symptoms. Similarly, someone with chronic pain can benefit from advanced pain management techniques so they can focus on targeted exercises to improve strength and balance.
By addressing the underlying cause of your balance difficulties, you can experience long-lasting results.
Introducing WellCart: Your Wellness Partner
We’re excited to announce WellCart as our new wellness partner, now conveniently located inside Hands of Hope clinics in Bedford and Staten Island!
WellCart offers a thoughtfully curated selection of wellness products, exercise tools, supplements, and more—all designed to support your journey to better health and recovery. Whether you’re looking for tools to enhance your therapy sessions, supplements to boost your well-being, or products to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, WellCart has you covered.
Stop by the WellCart booth during your next visit to explore what’s available and speak with the staff about products tailored to your needs.
Stay tuned for more locations!
What Techniques Do We Use in Our Fall Prevention Programs?
Generally speaking, fall prevention aims to improve strength, mobility, and balance. However, because problems in these areas often develop due to underlying pain, we understand the importance of incorporating pain management into our approach. Addressing pain can lower fall risk in and of itself and allow you to perform prescribed exercises more easily.
Here are some of the techniques you can expect in our comprehensive programs:
• Joint Injections
Joint injections deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly into a painful joint. These injections may contain corticosteroids to reduce swelling and hyaluronic acid to improve joint lubrication.
Who Can Benefit
- Those with arthritis or injuries to the knees, hips, or shoulders
• Trigger Point Injection
Trigger point injections target painful knots in your connective tissue. These injections deliver a local anesthetic, sometimes combined with a corticosteroid, directly into the affected muscle to reduce pain and stiffness.
Who Can Benefit
- Those with chronic muscle pain, myofascial pain syndrome, and fibromyalgia
• Epidural Steroid Injections
Epidural steroid injections deliver anti-inflammatory medication into the space around the spinal cord to reduce nerve irritation and swelling. These injections relieve nerve-related pain that can make walking and standing difficult, reducing the risk of falls.
Who Can Benefit
- Those with herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and chronic back pain
• Nerve Ablation
Nerve ablation, also known as radiofrequency ablation, is a procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves to disrupt pain signals traveling through specific nerves. By targeting overactive pain signals, nerve ablation can reduce chronic pain in areas like the spine or large joints, allowing for improved mobility and function.
Who Can Benefit
- Those with chronic back pain, knee pain, and joint pain related to arthritis
Strength
Training
Focuses on building strength in the legs and core to improve stability and support joint function
Balance
Training
Focuses on exercises that enhance coordination and body awareness so you can maintain stability during everyday activities
Gait
Training
Involves exercises and techniques designed to improve walking patterns and address issues like uneven strides or poor posture
Assistive
Devices
Devices such as canes, walkers, or braces provide additional support for those with balance or mobility challenges
Home Modifications
Suggested adjustments to help create a safer living environment, such as improving lighting or removing tripping hazards
Sources: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2787179, https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/76/9/e179/5916367
Schedule an Appointment to Learn More
Do you or a loved one struggle with chronic pain and worry about falling?
The team at Hands of Hope is here to help with personalized, holistic fall prevention programs that can help you manage pain and work toward improved strength and balance. Call us today to get started!
Feel Better by Eating Better!
Juicy Baked Chicken Breast
- 4 (7 to 8 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp parsley flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper and pound to an even thickness. Drizzle both sides of chicken with olive oil. Combine seasonings and sprinkle generously over both sides of the chicken breasts. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil for 5 minutes before slicing.
