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Physical Therapy: Preventing Falls In Older Adults

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show
An older adult undergoes a physical therapy session designed to help seniors to avoid falling.
This July 28, 2014 photo shows Clive Pai, a University of Illinois-Chicago physical therapy professor, left, and physical therapy assistant professor Tanvi Bhatt, right, watching Mary Kaye, 81 as she demonstrates a treadmill balance session at the school in Chicago. Kaye, who is supported by a safety harness, walks on a lab-built walkway that causes people to unexpectedly trip and can teach them quickly how to catch themselves and avoid falling. Falls in the elderly cost $30 billion yearly to treat and can send them spiraling into poor health and disability. Pai, who came up with the idea calls it “a vaccine against falls” and says his research shows that older people’s brains can learn and adapt much more quickly than previously thought. (Spencer Green/AP Photo)

Falls are the leading cause of injuries among older adults, and seemingly small trips and slips are major contributors to falls. We talk with our physical therapists about what we can to do to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Natalie Guyette Producer
  • Lori Thein Brody Guest
  • Jill Thein-Nissenbaum Guest

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