Home Safety

We have recently reviewed balance and falls including risk factors and prevention.  Since my last blog post I have been working some time as a Home Health Physical Therapist and I have noticed some common household “hazards” in my patients’ homes, which can lead to an increased risk of falls.  Although most of my Home Health patients have been those who have had recent surgeries and/or are currently using assistive devices these obstacles in the home setting can increase risk of falls.  Be sure to assess your home for the following items to make sure trips and falls are decreased:

1. Pick up/Remove most throw rugs from your house.
2. Make sure there is enough space between your individual pieces of furniture for safe navigation 
3. Either remove or safely cover any electrical/extension cords
4. Have night lights installed for appropriate lighting
5. Place non-skid mats on any potentially wet or slippery surface. 
6. Keep stairways and other walkways free of clutter.
7. Install hand rails on both sides of stairs or in showers/bathtubs.

These few simple changes can help you and your loved ones avoid injury and/or hospitalization.  If you need help with your home safety, be sure to talk to your local physical therapist.

Balance and Falls

Falls are extremely common among the elderly population.  “One in three seniors over the age of 65, and nearly one in two seniors over the age of 80 will fall at least once this year.”¹  These falls can be dangerous, lead to loss of independence and often have devastating consequences.  With our aging population in America it is more important than ever to address the risk factors that lead to these falls and concentrate on prevention techniques.

Risk factors associated with falls include poor balance, older age, weakness, and diminished vision.  Other medical conditions such as stroke, diabetes, and Parkinson disease lead to loss of balance and increase the possibility of a fall.  It should be noted that anyone on more than four medications may also have decreased balance due to dizziness or other side effects.

Maintaining a relatively high but safe level of physical activity can help prevent falls.  It is important that a physical therapist or other qualified healthcare professional help formulate a safe exercise program.  Your physical therapist will be able to:

·         Obtain your detailed medical history

·         Complete an individualized physical examination of any present risk factors. 

·         Address your strength, gait mechanics (how you walk), and your flexibly. 

·         Recommend, based on your condition, other treatment options such as aquatics classes, Tai Chi (which helps with weight shifting, coordination and posture), or other balance or walking classes.

Hayashida and Associates offers multiple qualified professionals who can help you or your loved ones prevent unnecessary falls. 

Reference: www.apta.org

And The Summer Is Here!

Here in Santa Barbara and throughout most of the west coast we have been experiencing a short heat wave that has led to warnings regarding participating in outdoor activities.  These record temperatures in areas where the population is accustomed to mild weather can lead to serious health risks including heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

It is important to first know the difference between these two illnesses.  Understanding how these conditions come about, what their symptoms are, and how to prevent them, are critical for the general public to be aware of.  It is essential that we know the signs and symptoms of both conditions, especially during these short heat waves.  Some of the symptoms are pale, moist skin, muscle cramps, feelings of dizziness, weakness and nausea.  Heat stroke leads to more serious symptoms such as hot , flushed, dry skin,  initial high blood pressure which eventually decreases, and unconsciousness.  If these symptoms are recognized, an appropriate health care professional should be sought out immediately.  Heat stroke is considered a medical emergency and the individual in question must visit a hospital without delay.

Heat exhaustion occurs when people exercise at a high level in a hot, humid environment, where hydration is low, which leads to the body overheating.  Heat stroke can occur as well in these conditions. During heat stroke the individual’s “cooling system,” that is controlled by the brain stops working causing thier internal body temperature to rise above 105 degrees.¹

The main cause of these conditions is that the body loses the ability to work efficiently in a hot, humid environment.  This humid environment limits the ability of a person to sweat, which is the main cooling function of the body.  If this is combined with an already dehydrated state there can be an inability to circulate blood to certain parts of the body.  The individuals most at risk are “infants and the elderly… as are those who are taking antihistamines and certain types of medication for high blood pressure or depression.”¹

The best way to avoid these illnesses would be with prevention.  Those who are at high risk, should avoid strenuous activity in hot, humid environments, such as those we recently experienced in Central and Southern California.  Frequent breaks need to be taken in cooler environments and individuals should drink plenty of fluids. 

So go out there and enjoy the summer that California seemed to miss this year but be aware of the signs and symptoms of these conditions.

References:

1. http://www.emedicinehealth.com

Exercise to Enhance More Than Just Physical Fitness

When the word exercise comes to mind most of the general public conjures up the idea of working out to feel better, look stronger, and be fit.  We have long known that exercise does much more than just help change our physique but also helps improve our mental capabilities.  It is common knowledge that exercise releases endorphins, helping us feel better mentally.  It was once thought that this was solely due to increased blood flow to the brain, increasing the oxygen available for the brain tissue.  New research is now showing how exercise can truly increase our mental capacity.

To lay the ground work we must know that in our brains there are dormant stem cells that are waiting to be “woken-up” and stimulated forming new connections between different parts of our brains.  These new connections help us learn new pieces of knowledge, new movements, and boost our memory. 

The science behind this lies in a substance known as bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) which builds up in our brains.  This BMP is important for many bodily functions, “but as we get older, higher counts of BMP accumulate in the brain and keep our neural stem cells asleep. This is where exercise comes in. Within one week of being given an exercise wheel, mice showed half as much BMP signaling in their brains.”¹    This new research gives us tangible evidence that exercise can help increase our memory, abstract reasoning, and learning ability. 

This new research shows us that it is more important than ever to begin a regular workout routine.  Be sure to contact our certified personal trainers at Hayashida and Associates to begin a safe and efficient program.

1.       1.  http://singularityhub.com/2010/08/05/exercise-boosts-your-brain-%E2%80%93-here%E2%80%99s-how/

Heart Rate Training Levels in Women

Individuals in the health industry as well as those who are just into their fitness know a long-standing formula for calculating maximum and target heart rates (HR).  We have generally thought of maximum heart rate as 220 minus the person’s age.  Based on this maximum heart rate, the target heart rate would be calculated as 65-85% of that value.  For example, a 30-year-old person’s maximum heart rate would be 190 beats per minute (bpm) and his target heart rate during training would be between 123.5 and 161.5 beats per minute.  This has stood as common knowledge for some time now but researchers at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago have found that this is not always the case. 

These researches have conducted a study of over 5,000 women to determine maximum and target heart rates.  Their results demonstrated that if women use this formula they may be calculating heart rates that are too high which could place them at risk, exercising over a safe threshold.  As trends of wearing HR monitors to constantly monitor target values increase, it is important that we have the correct targets in place. 

The researchers at Northwestern Medicine have found a new (not easy) formula for women to find their maximum heart rates.  The formula is 206 minus 88% of the woman’s age.  According to this new calculation, if that 30-year-old person mentioned before was a woman, she would have a maximum heart rate of 179.6 bpm not 190 bpm.  Based on this new maximum HR her target heart rate would be between 116.7 and 152.6 beats per minute.

It is important to point out that “there’s nothing wrong with achieving a higher heart rate with exercise, and if you can maintain that, it’s fine,” said Dr. Martha Gulati, a cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern, who led the study. “But it might be that some women are getting tired and need to stop or slow down because they’re not able to maintain their heart rate at the higher level. But they’ve been using the wrong numbers.”1

If you are one of those women who has noticed difficulty staying in your target range during exercise consider using the new formula mentioned.

1.       The New York Times.  Recalibrated Formula Eases Women’s Workouts. July, 5, 2010. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/recalibrated-formula-eases-womens-workouts/

Backpack Safety

Believe it or not the summer is coming to a close and children are returning to school in the next few weeks.  This is a great time of year when kids of all ages get to see their friends and begin a new chapter in their lives.  However, this new time can bring aches and pains to many children and adults.  Due to weak muscles and heavy backpacks, children often walk around with stooped posture.  This can lead to shoulder, neck, and back pain along with numbness and tingling in the arms and hands. 

When I was attending school regularly there were many “backpack fads” that came and went.  First, it was cool to wear your backpack over one shoulder; then it was only cool to “sag” your backpack and have it hang as low as it could.  Both activities can cause multiple musculoskeletal problems.

Follow these easy tips to help your child prevent pain and risk of injury:

-- Lighten the Load – A full backpack should not be more than 10-15% of one’s weight.  Make sure not to carry items that will not be used that day.  When placing heavy items in a backpack, organize them so that the heaviest items are closest to the body.

--Wear Both Shoulder Straps – If you only use one shoulder strap you place a large amount of the stress on one side of the body causing muscles to be overloaded.  It is important to wear both shoulder straps so that the weight is distributed evenly.  Although most children find it “un-cool” it is also a good idea to wear support straps across the chest or hips.

--Position the Backpack Correctly – The backpack should be over the middle of the back where the muscles are the strongest.  In this position the low back does not have to overwork to carry the load.

Good luck with your new beginnings and if you or your child have shoulder, neck, or back pain make sure to see your physical therapist at Hayashida and Associates Physical Therapy.

Reference: www.APTA.org