The Most Common Needs for Physio in The Elderly

As we get older our bodies suffer more and more from wear and tear. Years of working and leading an active life can begin to take its toll giving you aches and pains all over. Physiotherapy is a good way to relieve and lessen some of these every day aches, allowing elderly patients to continue leading an active lifestyle.

But sometimes old age can bring more than just the aches and pains of a body well used. Elderly citizens often find themselves suffering from arthritis, the stiffening of the joints. This can be extremely painful at times and increasingly demobilising as time goes on. Age is a key factor when considering the likelihood of developing a form of arthritis making a common problem for elderly people.

Wear and Tear on the body

As a person ages, they can lose some of their fine motor skills, eyesight can deteriorate and accidents become much more likely. Thousands of elderly people are admitted into hospital each year due to trips or falls which lead to serious injury. Our bodies take more time to heal the older we are and sometimes they need a little extra help. When an elderly person suffers a bad injury it can often leave them immobilised or bed bound while their body recovers. Physiotherapy can be used to aid the healing process and keep joints and muscles moving while the patient is being less active. Physiotherapy is also used to help strengthen the injured part of the body and improve circulation to try and speed up recovery times.

Physio for long-term conditions

Respiratory problems, such as cystic fibrosis, emphysema and asthma, are often much more prevalent in the older generation. As the body ages, the lungs can struggle to provide the rest of the body with the right amount of oxygen. Physiotherapists can perform exercises which will help to clear the lungs and make it easier to breathe. They can also advise about good posture which can ease breathing, as well as easing and controlling pain.

Elderly people can often find themselves restricted and isolated in their own homes. As their mobility declines they can find it increasingly hard to get out into the community. This can lead to the elderly not getting any exercise or regularly moving around. It is a vicious circle the elderly can become trapped in. A physiotherapist can assist elderly patients to partake in activities and exercises to maintain healthy muscles and joints, allowing them to have greater mobility for a longer period of time.