Changes in Strength, Balance, Mobility and/or the Ability to Walk

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Strength, balance, mobility and walking problems

Changes in strength, balance, mobility, endurance or the ability to walk can be due to one or a combination of the following reasons:

Age

As we age there is a normal decline of our abilities

  • We aren’t as strong or as fast as we used to be
  • We don’t have the endurance we used to

Inactivity

A period of inactivity could be due to

Whatever the reason it is important to stay active. “Use it or lose it”!!!

Neurological Conditions

Any change or damage to the neurological system can result in a change in a person’s abilities.

What does a physiotherapist look for?

There are several changes that occur to our bodies. We look for:

Changes in strength (changes in power, speed and endurance of your muscles)

  • Power –A loss of power makes it difficult for someone to stand up from a chair, to stand, to walk, etc…
  • Speed -A loss of response speed when balance is challenged means that you can’t respond quickly enough to prevent a fall
  • Endurance – How much activity can your muscles take before you fatigue ?

Changes in balance. We establish:

  • Which positions make you unsteady
  • Your limits of stability – how long can you stay in certain positions before you lose your balance
  • Your reactions to a loss of balance – Can you steady yourself independently or do you need external help or support?

Changes in mobility and your ability to do transfers. We want to know if you are independently able to:

  • Re-position yourself and/or turn over onto your side in bed
  • Sit up from bed from a lying down position
  • Lie down in bed from a sitting position
  • Transfer from a wheel chair to a bed (or vice versa)

Changes in your ability to walk – Changes in your strength, balance and/or motor control can affect your walking. We look to see:

  • Your technique. Are you able to walk in a reciprocal gait pattern?
  • How steady and safe are you? Do you need assistance? Do you need an assisted walking device (cane, walker, etc…)

How can a physiotherapist help?

After we identify your limitations your physiotherapist will set out an action plan that will target your specific functional deficits.

Increasing Strength – Using strength training exercises

  • In some cases we will give you traditional strength exercises using body weight, resistance bands and/or free weights that you can do safely on your own
  • In most cases we work with you we will guide you through more complex and functional strength exercises

Improving Balance – For your safety we do not get you to work on your balance by yourself. Most people need to be supervised and be placed in a safe environment before doing balance exercises to prevent a fall.

  • We work on static balance exercises to improve your ability to maintain your balance in various positions. The steadier you are in each position, the less likely you are to have a fall
  • We gradually increase the difficulty of each static position and move towards dynamic balance activities
  • The ultimate goal is for you to be able to react and regain your balance independently when you lose your balance

Increasing your Mobility – The goal is for you to be able to move around and transfer safely and independently

  • We practice getting in and out of bed
  • We practice moving around in bed to re-position
  • We practice transferring from a chair to bed and vice versa
  • In advanced cases we practice getting in and out of a car and/or going up and down stairs

Improving your ability to walk – Depending on your limitations we use several techniques

  • We often start with re-education of proper gait technique. We want you to be able to take equal and reciprocal steps, using a heel-to-toe gait pattern. We will show you how to use your walker, cane or other assisted walking device
  • For people that are unsteady we will physically assist you to start walking and gradually try to reduce the amount of assistance we are providing so that you become independent
  • When it is appropriate we progress you from using a walker to a cane to no walking aids
  • To improve your endurance we recommend that you take several short walks throughout the day. If your goal is to be able to walk for ten minutes we suggest taking 10, 1 minute walks throughout the day instead of one 10 minute walk that may exhaust you and leave you inactive the rest of the day. It is better to spread it out, pace yourself and gradually increase the time of each walk.

  • Do we have the necessary equipment like a table, TENS machine, etc.?

    YES WE DO. We bring all the required tools with us.

  • Do we provide receipts for insurance and income tax purposes?

    YES, WE DO. We have a computerized system for record keeping, and we provide all the necessary documents.

  • Do our therapists have physiotherapy licenses?

    YES, THEY DO. All our therapists are licenced with the OPPQ and keep up to date with continuing education courses.

  • Are our services affordable?

    YES, THEY ARE. We have reasonable fees to make it possible for more people to have access to our services. 

  • How many sessions will I need?

    DEPENDS ON YOUR EVALUATION. Once your evaluation is completed we will create a treatment plan that is unique to your situation.