What to Expect During Physical Therapy for Seniors

As you grow older, your body goes through many changes. These factors not only affect its functionality but can make you more vulnerable to falls and certain chronic conditions.

Geriatric physical therapy addresses these needs for patients 65 and older, including injury recovery and prevention. If you are within this age group and your doctor has recommended physical therapy after a fall or to better manage age-related wear and tear, understand what to expect.

What Is Geriatric Physical Therapy?

Physical therapy for seniors takes bodily changes into account, as well as the specific injuries and recovery issues older adults can encounter.

As cartilage wears away and muscle mass declines, pain can emerge and makes this demographic more susceptible to certain health conditions or injuries. Treatment helps patients manage or recover from:

The subdiscipline also considers the neurological changes more prevalent among older adults, accounting for the physical and cognitive effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Along with these factors, treatment plans encourage older adults to build muscle strength, improve coordination and balance, and increase physical activity levels. Whether for injury recovery or to manage age-related changes, these approaches help decrease muscle atrophy and fall risks, helping seniors perform activities of daily living and maintain independence.

Benefits of Physical Therapy for Seniors

While geriatric treatments reflect the overall principles and approach of traditional physical therapy, they address specific concerns for older adults:

• Exercises and other treatments take into account that muscle and joint strength decrease with time, contributing to pain, increased fall risks and affecting independence.
• First and foremost, routines help older adults build strength and improve balance to aid injury recovery, reduce fall risks and preserve independence.
• Treatment plans often help older adults manage joint and back pain or recover from a fracture, while taking into account age-related changes, like declining bone mass. Routines and treatments help a patient recover and reduce the risk of a second injury.
• Ongoing physical therapy may reduce risks for chronic conditions and keep patients active.

Treatment for Senior Patients

At Integrated Rehab, your treatment plan will include the following:

• Manual Therapy: During this passive treatment to address pain and improve circulation and mobility, a physical therapist may perform soft tissue and joint mobilization, stretching, Neuromuscular Reeducation (NMR), ultrasound and cold therapy.
• Exercise: Prescribed exercises help improve strength, balance, flexibility, mobility and overall endurance, while helping reduce fall risks. Based on concern and injury, common routines include lower body stretches, endurance training, balance exercises, body weight exercises, range of motion exercises in a sitting or standing position, age-appropriate strength training and breathing exercises.
• Patient Education: Certain lifestyle factors can impact your mobility and increase risks for certain chronic diseases, including diet, weight and smoking. Your treatment may address adaptive strategies for performing activities of daily living and may instruct you on how to use assistive devices.

Geriatric physical therapy is often done in conjunction with neurological physical therapy, occupational therapy or cardiac rehabilitation.

Our Senior Services take various age-related changes into account for improving or maintaining independence. To learn more or schedule an appointment, contact us today.