Balancing Acts

As John Hanc explains in his New York Times column, exercise can help restore balance, a particularly important constituent of overall physical well being in the elderly. Now, at the mention of balance, the eyes should not glaze. Hanc will tell you, and so will neurologist David Thurman, balance is a very important conglomerate of input arriving from the visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems and improves when challenged. What is the best way to know whether or not a client could benefit from balance training? Well, the biggest risk factor for a fall is the fall itself. If you are working with someone that reports a history of a previous fall, the ears should perk. Try a simple single limb stance test to make sure and check out the rest of Hanc’s article to learn more.