Being physically active is an essential part of being healthy. But as we age, this can become more difficult and frustrating, especially for older adults. As we age, we often become less active; we lose muscle density, coordination, and reaction time. We also find we need more endurance to do many physical activities.
But we need to remain active, and today we’re going to go over potential consequences of a stationary lifestyle as an older adult, and how physical therapy for seniors can be beneficial for your wellness.
Why Should Seniors Do Physical Therapy?
Seniors need to remain active at their age. Physical therapy can give them the activity their body needs to stay healthy. Many seniors suffer from chronic pain due to conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis. Many seniors over 60 may have some form of arthritis affecting their spine. This can cause pain even when doing simple tasks. Physical therapy can help maintain muscle strength and preserve joint mobility to reduce future symptoms.
For older adults who have a more stationary life physical therapy can improve their quality of life by maintaining independence when doing common household activities. Physical therapy can help teach seniors to keep their stability and improve their balance. Injuries due to falling are the number one cause of bone fractures in seniors. Typically after they suffer an injury due to a fall, it’s not uncommon for them to fall again.
Reduce the Need for Pharmaceuticals
It’s not uncommon for seniors to be prescribed pain medication when suffering from chronic back or muscle pain. Many older adults often prescribed a number of pharmaceuticals. Many of which are necessary to maintaining proper body functions. However physical therapy for seniors can help with managing pain.
When followed thoroughly, physical therapy has been shown to generate similar results compared to surgery when treating conditions like spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves within the spine, causing neck and lower back pain.
Independence and Healthy Lifestyle
As you age, a certain amount of mobility is lost; many think this means they can’t live safely in their own home or else risk injury. This isn’t always the case; with physical therapy, seniors can keep their independence for much longer than expected. Though if a senior does sustain an injury, they may require some supervision during the recovery. Physical therapy can be used to recover sooner, allowing them to continue with an active lifestyle.
A healthy, active lifestyle is needed to avoid some of the dangers of a stationary lifestyle. Generally, not being active can lead to muscle loss, flexibility, and overall mobility. Physical therapy is a great way to get moving again.
Not only helping by preventing falls and managing pain, but physical therapy can also improve cognitive abilities to a certain degree. It’s been shown that having an active lifestyle later in life can help slow the advancement of cognitive decline. This can significantly improve their ability to live independently.
Staying Active
Physical therapy is only the first step to a healthy lifestyle for seniors. Our physical therapists will provide an individualized program for each patient. But will also provide exercises for you to practice at home. These will likely be simple exercises to help regain the strength, balance, and coordination to recover and improve the ability to walk and move on your own.
Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine
Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health.
Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.
We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.
