Preventing Falls with FYZICAL

Fall Related Injuries

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed an algorithm that suggests assessment and multi-factorial intervention for those who have had two or more falls or one fall-related injury. Multi-factorial interventions should include:

• exercise, particularly balance, strength, and gait training
• vitamin D supplementation with or without calcium
• management of medications, especially psychoactive medications
• home environment modification
• management of postural hypotension, vision or tai chi. problems, foot problems, and footwear

FALL RISK FACTORS

1. Approximately 60% of falls are the result of multiple factors.
2. It is important for physicians to elicit a falls history because, in one study, only 36% of men and 50% of women who fell in the previous year talked to their physician about falls.
3. A Cochrane review found that the number of fallers was reduced by 15% to 29% with group exercise containing multiple components, individual home-based exercise, or tai chi.