5 Reasons Why It Is Important to Give Physical Therapy Sessions for Seniors
“While you are outside; catching up with your friends, take a pause and think what your elderly back at home must be doing?” The answer will probably be, “Nothing, just waiting for you idly.”
If you can relate to this, this is your reminder that your elderly needs more than just your time and attention. They need physical movement in life. Your aging parent's/grandparents' lifestyle as they grow old is full of inactivity. This lifestyle may increase their risk of developing mobility issues such as regressed muscle strength, improper balance, and flexibility. But don’t worry, ‘Physiotherapy’ or ‘in-home therapy for seniors’ is here to your rescue! This blog will give you five reasons why physiotherapy for seniors is essential. But first, let us explain what it is Physical Therapy?
What is Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy is a specialist's treatment in case you suffer a physical injury that makes it hard to do daily tasks. The therapy provides you with improvement in physical movement and helps you build strength and balance over time. Your physiotherapist may suggest various kinds of physiotherapies to you in case you face problems such as:
- Joint pain
- Discomfort in sitting or standing
- Unstable posture
- The implant of an artificial limb
- Parkinson’s disease
- Back pain
- Knee pain
Your physiotherapist may also suggest Manual therapy at home in case you cannot move out to the clinic and you have little to no physical work to do in your daily life.
Do your Seniors Need Physical Therapy?
Yes! Anybody lacking mobility or physical work should try to join in-home therapy sessions or take physical therapy at home guided by an expert. If the elderly in your family spends most of their time sitting, it is important to enroll them in physiotherapy sessions. But what are the benefits of Physical therapy for your elders? Let’s discover…
5 Reasons Why It Is Important to Give Physical Therapy Sessions for Seniors
Your parents/grandparents are more likely to face mobility issues than someone younger. They may feel inferior and left out due to this regressive phase of life. Hence, we suggest you select an in-home therapy for seniors. Here are five benefits of giving physical therapy to seniors:
1. Physical fitness promotes Independence.
An aging individual can never wish for an independent and pain-free life. Enrolling your elders in physiotherapy sessions can be beneficial as it promotes physical fitness and helps your elderly to do daily tasks quickly and independently.
Daily chores that can be made easy by adding Physical therapy to an elderly’s routine are:
- Doing laundry,
- Cooking,
- Cleaning
- Taking a stroll with toddlers or young kids.
Taking Physiotherapy sessions may help develop a sense of independence in the lives of the elderly, who are generally dependent on their young family members for their tasks.
Physical therapy helps in maintaining balance. As people age, their muscle strength gradually decreases with time. This weakened muscle results in an unbalanced posture and higher chances of falling! Enrolling the elderly in physical therapy sessions can help them manage and prevent falls and keep them active.
2. Physiotherapy helps in recovery from Illnesses or Injuries.
Suppose your aging parents have a history of deteriorating illnesses such as diabetes or arthritis, or physical injury. In that case, they may experience uneasiness in managing their daily chores that involve physical work such as walking, bending, or lifting things. This may result in prolonged illness if not given care on time. At this time, you may get in-home physical therapy sessions for your elderly and ensure a speedy recovery from injury.
3. Physical Therapy May Prevent Parkinson’s Disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system in which the body's posture deteriorates. The disease is generally likely to strike people in their old age. The elderly who already take physiotherapy sessions are at a lesser risk of developing this disease.
4. Physiotherapy may ease the pain.
Old age comes with more than fine lines and wrinkles. It comes with endless pain in the body joints! A study suggests that at least 70% of people over 60 experience conditions such as osteoarthritis. However, regular exercises and physical therapy sessions can help the elderly ease their pain.
5. Decreasing the risk of falls and injury
With age, weakening of the muscles and bones become a common factor why adults fall. Seniors above the age of 70 years were independently associated with falls. Physiotherapy involves proper muscle strengthening program to reduce the risks of falls and other balance techniques. Petkov Bodywork Therapy’s comprehensive fall prevention treatment plan has the potential to prevent 30 to 40 percent of all falls. We make you feel reassured that falls are not a normal part of aging even when one crosses the age of 65.
Final Take Away!
The seniors in your family are as important and vulnerable as the young family members. Now, as the cold weather approaches, you must think about the physical wellness of your elderly.
