Active Health Physio provides Physiotherapy support for long-term health problems that commonly occur with advancing age. There is now a growing need for support with these conditions as the proportion of older adults in Scotland is set to rise from 15.5% to 21% in the next few years.
Hip pain, knee pain and joint stiffness due to osteoarthritis, can leave people feeling irritable, tired and deprived of enjoyment of the things they like doing. Knee arthritis is the leading cause of disability among older adults and affects more than 4.5 million adults in the UK. In some cases the pain and reduced mobility caused by osteoarthritis may be severe enough to need joint replacement surgery. The number of hip replacements and knee replacements has increased dramatically over the last decade while the average age of people receiving joint replacements is now younger.
A common misconception is that the progression of this condition is inevitable due to ‘wear and tear’ and cannot be treated. In fact current UK health guidelines now recommend exercise as a core treatment for people with painful hips and painful knees due to osteoarthritis. A large body of research now shows that exercise to strengthen muscles, improve fitness, and restore flexibility is beneficial for people living with hip and knee osteoarthritis. If you do require a hip or knee replacement, starting an exercise programme beforehand can also help improve outcomes after the operation.
Effective guidance on lifestyle choices is important for long-term self-management of osteoarthritis and maintaining quality of life. Active Health Physio is able to support you with the correct exercises that will get you back doing the things you enjoy without the fear of making things worse.
Do you feel like you aren’t getting out to meet friends and family as often as you would like, or do you now struggle with activities of daily living you used to find easy? Perhaps you have noticed that a family member is frail, less steady on their feet and has difficulty getting up from sitting. This may be due to a number of reasons such as living with a neurological condition (ie: stroke, MS, Parkinson’s) or general physical deconditioning which may be partly due to declining levels of physical activity.
Reduced strength, poor balance and shortness of breath when walking can quietly erode a person’s confidence to get out and about in the community. This can lead to a downward cycle of deconditioning and an increased risk of falls. Worryingly, one in three people aged over 65 will experience a fall every year with 10-25% of fallers sustaining a severe injury resulting in a hospital stay. Importantly, half of people who fall will fall again in the next 12 months.
Active Health Physio specialises in assisting older adults to improve their strength, balance, flexibility, and exercise tolerance so that they can perform daily tasks more easily and have the confidence to get out and about in the community. This helps return a sense of wellbeing, as well as the ability to live as independently as possible.
Reduced bone density that occurs due to osteoporosis can result in greater risk of bone fractures and have a major impact on a person’s ability to do activities of daily living and stay independent. The most commonly affected areas in the body to become fragile are the hip, spine and wrist. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation one in three women and one in five men are at risk of osteoporotic fracture.
Vertebral (backbone) fractures due to osteoporosis can result in loss of height, serious back pain and deformity (ie: Dowagers hump). Osteoporotic hip fractures often require surgery and result in loss of independence. Not only is the risk of hip fracture among women much greater than it is for breast cancer, the risk of death following hip fracture is also much greater. The good news is that osteoporosis is now largely treatable with better lifestyle choices, nutrition and medical advice.
Steps can also be taken to prevent this condition from occurring in the first place. A recent review of research findings indicated that strengthening exercises could maintain or improve bone mineral density of older adults. Active Health Physio is able to support people who have or are at risk of osteoporosis with exercises for better bone health to reduce the risk of fractures, and improve quality of life.
Dementia is responsible for more years of living with disability than stroke, heart disease or musculoskeletal problems among older adults. Conditions like Alzheimer’s disease disturb important brain functions including: memory, thinking, the ability to learn and understand, calculation, and judgement. Over 750,000 people in the UK live with dementia, with two thirds living in their own homes.
Physiotherapy plays an essential role in promoting and maintaining mobility of people with dementia. Physiotherapists are able to assess a person’s physical limitations, as well as problems they may have with activities and their ability to participate as independently as possible in daily life. Importantly, there is scientific evidence that Physiotherapy activity programmes can reduce the risk of developing this condition and delay the progression of declining brain function with older age.
Physiotherapy-led exercise programmes are effective in preserving mobility, increasing quality of life and reducing burden of care. Consequently, the service that Active Health Physio provides is an effective healthcare option for individuals and carers, as well as rest homes with residents living with dementia.
Call: 0131 202 9194