Preventing Falls & Improving Balance Talk

Presented by Jackie Oliver, DPT, OCS, on Zoom

Community Virtual Event – Free & open to the public

Zoom recording link: http://bit.ly/3qCZjwW

Q:  I fell yesterday walking and I have fallen a lot. All I can think of is, I am not picking up my feet enough? When I hit a crack or something I hit my toe and fall forward.   

A:  Sometimes that can be a strength thing, maybe your body is not strong enough, not that you can’t do it, but as you fatigue when you’re walking, you’re not lifting your feet as high because you are getting tired. So, your endurance might not be there in the lower extremity. It can be a multitude of factors…it could be your proprioception in the bottom of your feet aren’t picking up the cracks. A physical therapy evaluation can assess exactly what is causing your balance issues. As we get older, we tend to have balance issues that happen a little easier. We definitely don’t want you falling, especially outside on the hard concrete, that’s not a great place to be falling.  Definitely worth a mention to your doctor or physical therapist about what you are experiencing so a plan can be put into place to help address this issue for you.

Q:  I am someone who is dealing with peripheral neuropathy in my legs and feet, what do I do? Also, I am not able to lift my feet high enough when walking due to peripheral neuropathy. 

A:  So what you will want to do is uptrain like we talked about in that pie chart.  We talked about a third, a third, and a third for vision, vestibular and peripheral neuropathy.  The pie chart section that focuses on peripheral neuropathy is closing because you don’t have the sensation in your feet anymore. So you have to uptrain those other systems in order to compensate for the proprioception loss. Yes, it’s absolutely trainable.  Not being able to lift your feet high enough is a strength thing, with peripheral neuropathy, you’re not going to change the peripheral neuropathy, you’re going to uptrain those other systems. It’s like a muscle making those other systems stronger, so you aren’t worried about the peripheral neuropathy impact as much.    

Q:  Is there somewhere we can access the charts that you were talking about? 

A: The whole presentation will be loaded onto the Facebook page and the Excel website with the slides.  (coming soon)

Q:  What would you recommend as a call assist company for around your neck so if you fall you can get assistance? 

A:  With a little research online or by talking with family or friends, you can find one that will work with you. Recommendation given about Apple watch that asks if you have fallen and sends GPS tracking on where you are at if you don’t answer. 

Q:  Is there a booklet or something we can get with a detail view of different exercises we can build on for helping with resistance to falling? 

A:  A physical therapist can help determine a customized exercise program to help you with this. Also, tai chi, like yoga, is a great program to help with significant help on falling, some research showing up to 3 times a week has helped.  Talk to your physical therapist, because we can have different deficiencies because you may be deficient in your quads and hamstrings somebody else may be deficient in their glutes.  You may struggle with lifting your feet up and somebody else will struggle when they start doing head turns so getting a really specific exercise program is probably the best advice, so you’re not wasting your time so you’re not working on exercises you don’t need to work on.

Q:  Does Medicare cover balance training? 

A:  Yes, Medicare does cover balance training during a physical therapy appointment.   

Q:  Do you have suggestions on footwear?   

A:  Making sure you are in a footwear that you are comfortable walking in.  Something that isn’t bulky or has a high heel on it or has a big thick sole on it where you can get it caught on cracks in sidewalks.  Flip flops, sandals in the Summer time are going to be hard to justify because they can slip on feet and effect balance.  Specific footwear would be something to talk to your physical therapist to get headed in the right direction.   

Q:  Height of chair seat for a sit to stand desk? 

A:  There is a standard height, generally the measurement is dependent on height of the person using the desk. A physical therapist can help you determine the ideal  measurements best suited for your positioning needs.   

Q:  Balance with a new hearing aid?  

A:  Vestibular system is a big part of our balance system that contributes to balance and having a new hearing aid can throw of your balance because things are different for you.  

Jackie Oliver, DPT, OCS completed her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, one of the top Physical Therapy schools in the nation. She was fortunate enough to complete her clinical rotations and begin her physical therapy career within the University of Utah system, which is consistently ranked near the top in healthcare. Exposed to a wide variety of orthopedic conditions, Jackie is confident when assessing and treating a broad range of orthopedic impairments. Jackie is a certified dry needling provider with advanced training from Evidence in Motion and KinetaCore. Jackie achieved the Orthopedic Clinical Specialist advanced certification after extensive advanced training coursework and a stringent examination process from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Jackie has an intense passion for helping and educating others as well as preventative medicine. Because of her college sports background, Jackie loves working with athletes and has experience with biomechanical training and injury prevention in sports. She is also trained as a Diabetes Lifestyle Coach and has worked for the University of Utah and CDC helping individuals decrease their risk of developing diabetes.

Prior to completing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Jackie played basketball for Carroll College in Helena, Montana, while also obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Science. Jackie was Academic All-American her last two years at Carroll.

Free Student Athlete Injury Consultations

for ALL Manhattan High School, Manhattan Christian High School and Three Forks High School student athletes 

One-on-one session with Jackie Oliver, DPT, OCS; Megan Kemp, DPT, ATC, CSCS or Lisa Palomaki, DPT in your local Excel Physical Therapy Manhattan, Montana clinic.  

Complimentary injury consultation sessions will help determine the best injury treatment options & plan to help return the injured student athlete back to the game healthy & strong.

Includes: 

• Thorough history of athlete and review of injury  

• Injury screen looking at strength, mobility, stability and impairments  

• Education for athlete and parent/guardian on nature of symptoms and best course of treatment (PT, referral to MD, home rehabilitation program)

Call 406-284-4262 to schedule your complimentary student athlete injury consultation.

Learn more about us at https://bit.ly/3jDl0K0

#supportlocal  #communitysupport  #weloveathletes

Jackie Oliver, DPT, OCS

Megan Kemp, DPT, ATC, CSCS

Lisa Palomaki, DPT

• Understand how physical therapy can be of benefit to you with the goal of assisting in overall reduction of neck pain and headaches
• Learn about self-management strategies for reducing intensity and frequency of headaches
• Increase knowledge in the area of neck pain and headaches and their association to one another

Matt Schumacher, DPT, OCS, MTC, CSCS received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND where he was recognized as a nominee for Outstanding Student Award in his physical therapy class demonstrating excellence in academics, volunteering, and servant leadership.

Matt passed an exam from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) with the designation of a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), providing advanced knowledge and experience with designing and implementing safe and effective strength training and conditioning programs. Matt completed a rigorous year-long program with Evidence in Motion (EIM) achieving his Manual Therapy Certification (MTC) gaining advanced training in mobilization and manipulation techniques for common diagnoses of the spine and extremities. Matt achieved the Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) advanced certification after extensive advanced training coursework and a stringent examination process from the American Physical Therapy Association.

Matt specializes in assisting individuals following post-operative rehabilitation, sports medicine rehabilitation, and orthopedic injuries/ailments of the spine and extremities utilizing advanced knowledge and skill with manual therapy and appropriate exercise prescription. One of his main interests includes the concept of “regional interdependence” where dysfunction in distant regions, both extremity and spine, may contribute to a patient’s primary complaint common in more complex situations. Matt is passionate to utilize this concept with the most evidence-based practices and techniques for optimal outcomes.

Matt enjoys outdoor activities and all that Montana has to offer including hiking, backpacking, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, and various sports with his wife and dog. Matt also has a passion for volunteering, where he recently led twenty-one physical therapy students with his wife on a two-week service project in Guatemala providing rehabilitation services to the surrounding communities.

“Push & Pull…Essential ingredients for Running and Climbing” is AJ Sobrilsky’s latest article in the Outside Bozeman Summer issue.

Read the article here: https://bit.ly/2EUnvJ2

AJ is a physical therapist in Excel PT’s Bozeman clinic who uses specialized gait and the Excel PT Climbing Lab to help treat injury and provide skilled performance assessments.
#excelptmt
#excelclimbinglab
#excelrunningclinic
#montana
#bozeman
#physicaltherapy
#running
#climbing
#themountainathlete

AJ Sobrilsky, DPT, OCS is a Physical Therapist and Orthopedic Clinical Specialist in our Bozeman clinic.  AJ specializes in the rehabilitation and prevention of orthopedic sports related injuries with a specific interest in the management of those involving the upper and lower extremities. AJ received his Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from Carroll University (Waukesha, WI). Following the completion of his DPT degree he participated in an Orthopedic Residency through Evidence in Motion at Bellin Health in Green Bay, WI providing him with advanced training in orthopedic manual therapy, clinical decision making, and patient centered treatment. Following completion of his residency AJ became an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) through the American Physical Therapy Board Association and received advanced training in dry needling for spine and extremities.

AJ has been a lifelong athlete, competing in cross-country and track through college and then racing competitively post collegiately. As a result of his personal experiences and passions, AJ has focused his continued education and clinical development around the athletic individual with an emphasis in: running, skiing, and climbing related injuries. AJ has had the opportunity to provide care for an array of athletic populations including youth sports teams, high school and collegiate athletes, and those competing at professional and Olympic levels.

AJ’s treatment philosophy emphasizes a collaborative patient centered approach. Structured around the patient, supported by current best evidence, and coupled with specialized exercise/techniques, AJ hopes to educate the patient on their current issue and provide them with the best course of treatment to return to their previous/desired level of activity. 

When AJ isn’t working he is usually pursuing his next adventure: rock climbing, skiing, mountain biking, or running.