ALWAYS TELL YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU'VE HAD A FALL - ESPECIALLY IF YOU HIT YOUR HEAD !!!

Only about half of all falls are reported to the right people (doctors, therapist or the ER.) This means half of all people are putting themselves at risk of head injury or death.

Bob Saget was back in the news this week after autopsy reports showed his cause of death was likely a fall, that caused a brain bleed. Initially, it seemed like he may have fallen backwards, thought nothing of it, and went back to sleep. However, given the fact that he had fractures at the back and front of his skull, it looks more like he had a BIG fall (down a set of stairs, possibly?) and this likely caused what is called a coup contrecoup head injury. These types of injuries can cause major swelling that can put pressure on the respiration centers and other critical areas of the brain. At best, they may cause temporary brain damage that can be reversed with the proper care (draining, shunting, surgery etc), but at worst, they can cause permanent brain damage or death.

As we age, blood vessels become more friable, and taking aspirin or other blood thinners make it more likely to have bleeding in the brain if you hit your head. This is why it is CRITICALLY important that you report any fall in which you hit your head to your doctor right away. I can’t say this LOUD ENOUGH. If you fall, and hit your head, PLEASE TELL YOUR DOCTOR OR VISIT AN ER! There are plenty of good reason to report falls, but this is arguably the most important. Even if you fall, and feel fine, and don’t hit your head, it is still a good idea to let your doctor know. Why? So they can call helpful people like ME to come check your balance, assess your fall risk and help you make a game plan that will help you stay on your feet (and be ready to land safely if you do head for the floor!).

Healthy Aging Physical Therapy takes pride in not only teaching our patients how to prevent falls, but how to be PREPARED for them. Chances are, if you’ve fallen once, you’ll fall again (#facts), so you are better of being ready for it, than going through life scared or trying to avoid any and all potentially fall-causing scenarios (when a new patient tells me proudly ‘oh I haven’t fallen, but I’m REALLY careful’ I know we have problem…). There are ways we can teach you to fall SAFELY with reduced risk of head injuries and fractures, and ways we can teach you to GET BACK UP so you can get on with your day.

There are three questions you can ask yourself to help determine if you are at risk for falls - and whether you may benefit from seeing a physical therapist for fall risk assessment and a course of therapy:

Have you had a fall in the last year?
(If you’ve had a fall, you are 3x more likely to have another).
Do you feel unsteady while standing or walking?
(This speaks to your balance perception - lack of balance confidence, leads to increased risk of falls)
Do you worry about falling?
(Fear of falling = fear avoidance behaviors = reduced activity = increased risk of falls)

If you answered YES to any of these, we would LOVE to help you. And I’m not just saying this to drum up business (we are full and waitlisted!) but seeing stories in the news like Bob Saget’s untimely death just reminds me how important it is to spread the message that FALLS ARE AVOIDABLE and everyone deserves the chance to live life without fear of falling.

*Actual Healthy Aging patient REDUCING her risk for falls!*

If you are reading this and we don’t see patients in your area, reach out anyways - I’d be happy to try to help you find a good physical therapist near you. There are also GREAT resources out there for education on Fall Prevention and Fall Preparedness, including the CDC STEADI programs which we use to drive our fall assessment and intervention and the Stay on Your Feet AU program, that has some great printable resources.

If you live in and around Wakefield, Massachusetts, consider joining me at the new FUNctional Fitness class starting up at the Wakefield Council on Aging. We’ll meet every Tuesdays from 9-10AM staring March 1st to work on increasing our strength and balance exercises so we can stay ACTIVE and RESILIENT and FALL-FREE. This class is FREE for the month of March, and registration is required ahead of time by calling (781) 245-3312.

If you live further out, or prefer to take classes virtually, I also offer Strong Bones, Strong Life classes through the Steinberg Center for Mind and Body. These classes run in 8-week sessions and are offered Mondays from 1:15-2:15PM and Thursdays from 9-10AM. Focused on Osteoporosis Prevention and Management, we work on strength, postural control and balance designed to improve bone health and prevent falls and fall-related injuries. Next session starts up in March, and we kick off with a FREE Strong Bones, Strong Life workshop on March 3rd, from 7-8PM.

So, remember, if you’ve had a fall, don’t let pride or embarrassment get in your way of saving your life! Let your doctor know ASAP so they can make sure you’re okay and help you get on the path to Fall Preparedness!