·impaired cognition
The risk of falls is greater the more
falls risk factors an individual has.
Falls risk and the person with polio
Given that muscle weakness is an important intrinsic
risk factor for falls, people with polio will have an increased risk of experiencing
falls. However, this issue has received very little research focus. The musculoskeletal
problems associated with polio have usually remained stable over many years.
Superimposed on the underlying musculoskeletal falls risk factor is the effect
of increasing age on each component of the balance system, which although
small, does increase falls risk. Falls risk is further compounded by the presence
of other intrinsic health problems affecting components of the balance system.
Assessment procedures
Any person who has a fall should inform their general
practitioner about the fall, and discuss the circumstances and any problems
(including loss of confidence) resulting from the fall. Any new symptoms,
even if they do not clearly seem to be related to the fall, should be discussed.
An important symptom to discuss is dizziness, as it can cause considerable
loss of function, reduced activity, and impaired balance. Changes in pain,
and joint range / flexibility, and activity level also should be reviewed.
There are many methods which have been described to
evaluate balance performance. The aim of using these measures is to identify
if a problem exists, to quantify the magnitude of the problem, and to be able
to identify change in performance over time (improvement or deterioration).
These measures may also provide some information to the physiotherapist about
the type of exercises and activities which may be useful in a treatment program.
Examples of some simple clinical measures of balance performance which have
been reported, and scores achieved on these tests by healthy older people
are described below (references Bernhardt et al, 1998, Hill et al, 1999).
