One of the biggest factors with regard to longevity in life is movement. Simply put, if you want to live longer, keep moving.

That is often easier said than done. The older we get, the more difficult it can be to get around, whether it be because of everything in the body just getting older or due to a specific ailment such as arthritis or osteoporosis.

Physical Therapy As We Age

The term “geriatric physical therapy” can conjure up a depressing scenario – an elderly person who has perhaps spent time in the hospital because of an injury after a fall, and who then is sent to a facility to stay for a few weeks while getting back on his or her feet. Patients who are already residents of assisted living facilities might spend time as inpatient physical therapy recipients for similar reasons.

But geriatric physical therapy is not always done during a lengthy full-time stay in a clinic or treatment center. ProHealth Physical Therapy in Peachtree City is a go-to spot for outpatient services, helping those who are already back at home but not homebound. They can get out and about to a certain extent (which means they don’t qualify for home health services) but still need the strengthening, balance and conditioning work that can only be completed under professional guidance.

Physical Therapy for Ease of Movement or Pain Reduction

Often an elderly person sees changes in the quality of movement because of advancing age as well as pain from one of a number of sources. When that change is seen in a key joint such as a knee, it will affect everything from sitting in a chair to going up and down stairs or getting on and off a toilet. These folks become fearful that the most common types of movement in life could lead to a fall and an injury. As a result, they limit their movement even more and that leads to a decrease in strength which compounds the problem.

That is why ProHealth professionals focus on keeping the body moving and maintaining a sense of activity. They want their patients to move around in positive ways and do so without greater ease and less pain, which leads to greater overall confidence. Just like an injury can cause movement to lessen with a snowball effect in the wrong direction, a consistent improvement in mobility builds upon itself in a positive fashion.

Osteoporosis

It is a disorder in which the bones become increasingly porous, brittle, and subject to fracture – is a threat to virtually anyone but most commonly found in older women. It is known as a silent disease because often people are unaware they have it. Tests for it typically are not performed until a patient is in his or her late fifties or early sixties, unless it is the result of an injury or required for surgery.

Physical therapy under the supervision of a proper professional means that special care will be taken to avoid movements that would be counterproductive in that condition or putting their bones at greater risk. The emphasis should be on posture and overall strengthening of the body as well as balance; making the bones stronger and more dense but doing it safely.

Problems with movement in later years can lead to fear. Sometimes the tendency is to just stop moving and just spend life sitting around. That can cause much more damage than one thinks it might prevent.

Get Moving with ProHealth

Talk to a professional at ProHealth today and get back on the move. It can lengthen your life and make those extra years more pleasant than you ever imagined. If you are in the Peachtree City area, we invite you to set up a physical therapy evaluation or PT sessions by calling the clinic at 770-487-1931.

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