Falls can lead to serious injuries and health complications for seniors. For this reason, maintaining balance and mobility becomes more important with age, and so is correcting issues with one’s gait, which is defined as a person’s manner of walking.
Physical therapy for seniors contains gait training, which can help prevent falls and promote independence. In this article, we are going to explore gait training for seniors and where you can go in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, for comprehensive senior care.
Gait and Balance Issues in Seniors
Your gait is how you walk. Physical therapists can assess your gait and determine some irregularities and imbalances that can lead to falls.
Some of the common gait irregularities involve stride length and step width, such as:
- Limping: Walking with an uneven or jerky movement.
- Hitching: Lifting one hip higher than the other while walking, usually to compensate for discomfort or weakness.
- Swinging Legs Outward: Legs swinging sideways or outward instead of moving straight forward with each step.
- Dragging Feet: Feet not lifting properly off the ground, causing them to drag or shuffle during walking.
- Walking on Tiptoes: Walking primarily on the balls of the feet without the heels touching the ground.
- Staggering: Walking unsteadily with a wobbly or uncoordinated gait, often due to balance issues.
- Crossing Legs While Walking: Legs cross over each other with each step, making walking difficult and unsteady.
- Walking with a Bent Forward Posture: Walking with a stooped or hunched-over posture, is usually seen in older adults.
- Shuffling Steps: Taking short, sliding steps without lifting the feet properly off the ground.
- Uneven Arm Swing: Arms swinging differently or not swinging at all while walking, affecting balance and coordination.
Gait irregularities may arise with age, as muscle weakness and joint weakness develop. These alterations in gait increase the risk of falls for seniors, and working with a physical therapist ensures you receive a customized treatment plan.
What is Gait Training for Seniors?
Gait training is a core component of physical therapy interventions aimed at improving mobility and coordination, as well as reducing fall risk in individuals. It is usually prescribed to patients coming from an injury or surgery.
Gait training involves targeted exercises and techniques designed to enhance gait mechanics by addressing specific gait abnormalities and underlying impairments. All in all, gait training helps seniors move more safely and confidently.
Examples of gait training exercises are the following:
- Tandem Walking – Tandem walking involves walking in a straight line while placing one foot directly in front of the other. This exercise challenges balance and coordination.
- Heel-to-Toe Walking (Tightrope Walking) – Heel-to-toe walking, also known as tightrope walking, requires placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other foot with each step. This exercise improves balance and proprioception, which are essential for maintaining a smooth and coordinated gait.
- Backward Walking – Backward walking involves walking in reverse, which can help seniors improve their coordination, balance, and agility. This exercise challenges the body to move in a different direction, activating different muscle groups and enhancing overall gait control.
- Sidestepping – Sidestepping requires seniors to take sideways steps to the right and left. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles of the hips and thighs while improving lateral stability and control. By practicing sidestepping, seniors can enhance their ability to maintain balance and control while walking in different directions.
- High Knee Marching – High knee marching involves lifting the knees towards the chest with each step. This exercise helps seniors improve their hip flexor strength and mobility, which are important for achieving a proper gait pattern and lifting the feet effectively during walking.
- Calf Raises – Calf raises target the muscles of the calves and ankles, which play a key role in propulsion and push-off during walking. By strengthening these muscles, seniors can improve their ability to push off the ground with each step, leading to a more efficient and fluid gait.
- Figure-of-Eight Walking – Figure-of-eight walking requires seniors to navigate a pattern in the shape of a figure-eight. This exercise challenges balance, coordination, and spatial awareness, helping seniors improve their ability to change direction and navigate obstacles while walking.
Gait training is instrumental in fall prevention among seniors as it focuses on improving balance, strength, and coordination, all of which are essential components for maintaining stable walking patterns. By engaging in targeted exercises and techniques designed to enhance gait mechanics and stability, seniors can reduce their risk of falls.
As seniors improve their gait mechanics and mobility through training, they often experience a boost in confidence and independence. In addition, they become empowered to remain active and engaged socially. If you are concerned about your or your senior loved one’s risk of falls, consult a primary care doctor or physical therapist for the appropriate services going forward.
Physical Therapy for Seniors in Fort Worth, TX
Palm Primary Care Texas offers comprehensive, specialized healthcare for seniors. We offer primary care services in our offices in Dallas and Fort Worth, and physical therapy for seniors in our Cityview location in Fort Worth. Our providers are friendly and committed to helping you achieve your goals.
For any questions about our services or to schedule an appointment with a provider, call us today at (866) 840-7728 or use our online form. Our staff looks forward to giving you a different experience in healthcare.
