Falling is a serious concern for the elderly, people living with chronic pain, and people who have an uneasy balance or a hard time walking. Falling can cause serious injuries and can be a scary reality for any person that lives alone with no immediate help to rely on. In order to lower the risk of injury in case of a fall, a person should always be prepared. Learning how to safely fall will help to ensure the person is uninjured and will be able to stand up safely as well.
Although it may be hard to think of protecting yourself while you are falling, the most important thing to remember is to protect your head. This injury can be serious but is prevented by tucking your chin down and lowering your head as you fall. If you are falling down face first, turn your head to the side and bring your arms up to your head level to create more protection, depending on the way in which you are falling. If you end up falling straight forward or backward, it is important to try to turn your body so that you land on your side. Falling straight forward or backward can cause damage to both areas respectively so landing on your side will help in reducing injury.
As with working out, it is important to keep your arms and legs bent and at ease. Trying to catch yourself will be hard to resist at first, but doing so will cause injury to your arms and wrists. Try not to tense up while falling and try to breathe out as you fall in order to keep your body relaxed as this will help in reducing injury. A good tip is to roll into the fall and use the energy of the impact into the roll. It will take practice to learn how to roll out of a fall but will be beneficial in the long run.
Be sure to remember these tips in order to fall safely and reduce the risk of injury!
We feel like we have the best physical therapists around. Did you know you don’t need a referral to get help from a Physical Therapist? Direct access is available for you, please call us and set up an evaluation so we can help get you back on your feet. In Orange County we offer Physical Therapy in Chester, Goshen, Monroe, Port Jervis, and Montgomery. Westchester County has Physical Therapy in Armonk, Bedford, and Hawthorne. In Ulster County we offer Physical Therapy in Wallkill, while in Sullivan County you can get Physical Therapy in Liberty. To round out our 12 locations in New York, those living in Rockland County can go to Physical Therapy in New City as well as Pomona. If you happen to live in PA, we also have Physical Therapy in Milford and Dingmans Ferry of Pike County. Give us a call today!
