Aging at Home with Physical Therapy or Outpatient Physical Therapy
Do you have trouble walking? You need to try out gait and balance training which is physical therapy that is designed to improve your walking. Gait and balance training have many benefits including retraining the legs and developing muscle memory, building strength in affected muscles and joints, improving balance, improving posture, building endurance, increasing mobility, and reducing fall risk. Gait and balance training can help several different people, especially those who have experienced physical trauma perhaps due to a recent fall or a chronic illness. If you have experienced a stroke, a spinal cord injury, a hip or knee replacement, an amputation, a neurological disorder, or a musculoskeletal disorder, gait and balance training may be best suited for you.
Gait Training Increasing Mobility and Safety at Home
So, what is gait training and how does it work? Gait training comes in several forms and is customized to the patient that the physical therapist is dealing with. The therapist may use machines or provide manual assistance to help you walk. The type of workouts and length of treatment will depend on your condition and situation. You may use a treadmill so that you can hold on to the railings with a safe ‘off’ button in case of an emergency. Physical therapists are by your side as you start your road to recovery. Another use of gait training is the parallel bars. You will hold on to the bars while you try and regain your muscle memory on how to walk. Your trainer will either provide manual assistance by picking up your legs, or they will guide you down the path with verbal encouragement.
Weight Gain and Mobility
If you fall under the obese category, trainers might have you use a body-weight support system for your gait training sessions. The body-weight support systems are harnesses that wrap around your waist and connect to a central suspension system. The machine is designed to ease your way back into walking without carrying all your weight. Each session you will gradually have less resistance to make it more challenging and prepare you for the real world. This machine is also useful for people that have had spinal cord injuries.
If you have balance issues when walking, balance training will be recommended by the physical therapist. Balance training will help if you are at risk for falling or have fallen in the past, have weak muscles or limited mobility, have trouble walking or being steady when you stand, or have sensory issues. Balance training is part of physical or occupational therapy and will incorporate many different basic exercises to minimize your risk moving forward. Be sure to speak to your medical provider at Jupiter Internal Medicine today about getting back on your feet through gait and balance training. Take the first step towards a full recovery.