IT IS A “QUESTION OF BALANCE”

By Vincent Hanneken, PT/Owner

This article is not about an old Moody Blues tune, although being lousy at it may give you the blues. Every day we engage in a routine action that can actually be a test on this key skill in life. What might that be? One simple example is getting dressed; an action common to nearly all of us, but how do we accomplish it? Is it a sitting down process for better control, or are you doing it standing leaning against a wall to stabilize or can you still do it without any support while standing?

Yes, we are talking about balance, that quality we only seem to recognize it has changed when suddenly it is needed or it has degraded as a result of an injury or surgery.”

Sprain an ankle and see how that disrupts the ability to stand on one foot and be in good control. And, to just bring this home to right now. I had a friend who recently lost her balance and fell, breaking her arm; she now needs surgery but is having to wait a week because so many people have fallen recently requiring surgery. Combine winter conditions with someone with poor balance and we have the perfect storm for a fall.

Being able to control one’s balance in a variety of situations is one of the most functional qualities one can invest. Day to day, our balance is called into play and when it cannot adjust to a sudden demand, we stand a good chance of falling. If it’s our head we hit first, not only a skull fracture is possible but a closed head injury as well. If it is a major bone in our body, like my friend, it will be at a minimum of 6 months recovery.

Also, I know of another person who fell, fractured her femur (thigh bone) 2.5 years ago and she is still limited compared to her pre-fall status.

The consequences of a fall not only break bones; I have treated many who tore their rotator cuff trying to catch themselves, and that is another long recovery when surgery is needed. Based not only on the potential for a life changing injury from a fall, but how that injury may require those close to you to help compensate for your limitations, not just weeks but maybe months, is another consequence that is often not seen until its staring one in the face. All of us have responsibilities that may need to shift to others from a fall, the ripple effects are many.

Due to the potential for so much damage and lifestyle disruption from a fall, there is not a more valuable area to invest one’s time than in balance training as a preventative action and for many it could be just a tune up process versus a major overhaul.

As youngsters, standing on one foot and dressing was the routine but as we start to hit the 3rd to 4th decades of life that skill could be fading due to a lack of challenge from our sedentary, flat pavement, shoe wearing world; all the opposite qualities of a child’s lifestyle. We need to put a little more “child” in our day!!

It is no understatement our bodies are undergoing many behind the scenes changes that eventually show up as some kind of loss as the decades add toward those “golden” years. Gosh, if only losing weight could be so easy.

Unfortunately, the rude intrusion of “loss” on our daily routines insidiously robs us of one of our most cherished qualities – being independent. And the rudest of intrusions is a complete fall where a bone gets fractured or maybe worse – a concussion. In any event, you are most likely in for a long recovery and your independence shifts to reliance. Very rude indeed, but if we are forward thinking, we can up our odds to not be thrown into that situation.

The trick is to begin with balance exercises that are at the right challenge and follow the right gradient.

Now if that ability to stand on one foot and get dressed has faded into the sunset long ago, a more basic start point would be needed to begin reversing the loss of something that has everything to do with not only avoiding falls but improving our enjoyments in life. Even just walking on the lawn, an uneven relatively soft surface, or a sandy beach stimulates many of our body’s muscles to work together. The softer the surface the more our balance is challenged.

Did you know, we have over 600 muscles in our body controlling 206 bones which ideally allows us to be not only active but to do amazing things like play pickleball, hike rough terrain or even do paddle boarding (what a great balance challenge that activity is).

The beautiful thing about our muscles and the nerves that control them is they can improve with the right challenges, just like they can degrade with no challenge.

Often, it is our mind that needs to start to flex its muscle first to overcome our body’s inertia.

As the momentum begins to shift with practice into better control, one’s confidence begins to improve and the training becomes more like a game to play with ourselves. Balance training stimulates muscles in our feet right up the leg to our hips and trunk.

It not only promotes muscle strength but the coordination of these muscles to work together synergistically (one of my favorite words) to create control, stability and that great word we all love – independence.

To get the team effect of control, the body has to be worked as a team! The absolute key is to always work at a slight challenge and start where you can – safely.

And, truth be told there is not a better example of the idiom, “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” than with the skill of balance. Losing our control is an insidious process and demands the daily investment of grabbing our balance opportunities and putting them to work for a better future. (see the related article on balance opportunities)

There is not a more beneficial cost to reward ratio than investing in your balance as it is involved in all things standing.

When you are on your feet your balance is needed and its presence operating at a strong level can contribute to avoiding a lot of heartache, pain, and medical cost from a fall. We at Full Potential are just trying to raise your awareness on this inescapable but under recognized need. If this article has put this important ability back on your radar and you need some help getting started Full Potential PT has some excellent balance “masters” to assist you. Reach out to your doctor and prompt them to refer you.

Did you know, insurance companies like Medicare, would much rather handle the cost of balance training if you are a fall risk than the cost of you falling (doctors’ visits, surgery/drug costs, hospital stays, and sometimes being admitted to an assisted living center to recover, not to mention the pain, sleepless nights and having to be waited on). That is a lot of loss!

Don’t wait to learn the hard way that your balance is not what it used to be. The best active is to be proactive to prevent unwanted events. Get a referral from your doctor or get a consult from us, but no matter what – get going!!! You can reach our excellent front desk staff to help you get started. 616-392-2172.

To handling gravity with ease, Vince Hanneken, PT/Owner.