Boost Your Balance & Prevent Dangerous Falls!

Falls Prevention Awareness Month truly matters. After all, the risk it addresses is all too real: according to the CDC, one in four adults over 65 will fall, making it a leading cause of serious injury. In this post, Kentlands Foot & Ankle Center explores common risk factors and shares how you can improve your balance, too!

The 10-Second Balance Test

How can you tell if you’re at risk of falling? All you need is 10 seconds and a chair!

1. Stand on a flat, non-slip surface near a counter or sturdy chair you can grab if needed.
2. Lift one foot off the ground. Keep your elevated foot from touching your standing leg!
3. Cross your arms over your chest.
4. Try to hold this position for 10 seconds without touching down or grabbing for support.

Could you do it? If you felt unsteady or had to put your foot down, it’s not just a sign of “getting older.” It’s a signal that your body’s balance system needs attention.

How Do Your Feet Affect Your Balance?

Your feet are complex structures designed to keep you stable and upright. When problems arise, they can compromise your entire body’s balance in several ways:

• A Faulty Foundation: Foot deformities like bunions or hammertoes, or alignment issues like flat feet, can change the way your foot meets the ground.
  •  This creates an unstable base, forcing your ankles, knees, and hips to work overtime to compensate, which can easily throw you off balance.
• Scrambled Signals: Your feet are packed with nerves that send constant information to your brain about your position in space (a sense called proprioception).
  •  Conditions like diabetic neuropathy or even just the stiffness from arthritis can interfere with these signals. When the brain doesn’t get a clear message from the feet, your stability suffers.
• Pain and Compensation: When you have a painful spot on your foot, you naturally change the way you walk to avoid putting pressure on it.
  • This altered gait—a limp or a shuffle—is an unnatural movement pattern that can significantly compromise your balance and increase your risk of a fall.

The Podiatrist’s Role: Rebuilding Your Foundation

As foot and ankle specialists, our goal is to address these foundational issues to improve your stability. A key tool in our arsenal for fall prevention is the custom orthotic.

Unlike a flimsy store-bought insole, a custom orthotic is a prescription medical device created from a precise mold of your feet. It works to improve balance by:

• Correcting Misalignment: An orthotic provides targeted support to correct issues like flat feet or overpronation, creating a stable, properly aligned foundation for your entire body.
• Redistributing Pressure: By evening out the pressure across your foot, orthotics can significantly reduce pain from conditions like arthritis or bunions, allowing you to walk with a more natural, stable gait.
• Improving Sensory Feedback: For some patients, orthotics can improve the sensory signals being sent from the feet to the brain, providing a clearer sense of position and stability.

It’s important to note that regular exercise and stretching can make a difference, too!

Get In Touch and Stay Stable!

If you or a loved one is concerned about their balance or has experienced a fall, don’t wait. Schedule a comprehensive fall risk assessment with our team today!

Get in touch for a comprehensive foot examination with Kentlands Foot & Ankle Center podiatrist Dr. Jon M. Sherman. To make your appointment, please call our office at 301-825-9697. You can also contact us online.