FEATURE NUTRITION AND FITNESS Fall prevention Life and longevity, part 4 by dr . don fitz -ritson , dc A ging and falls go hand in hand. In Canada/globally, falls are a serious public health concern. “Falls remain the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among Canadian seniors, and between 20% and 30% of seniors fall each year. Falls and associated outcomes not only harm the injured indi-viduals but also affect family, friends, care providers and the health care system. However, we do know that these personal and economic costs can be avoided through injury prevention activities. In addition to the negative physical and mental health consequences of falling, there are significant associated financial costs, estimated at $2 billion annually, a value 3.7 times greater than that for younger adults.”(1) The Nagi Model outlined that the aging person maybe dealing with some disease pathology and lifestyle activity factors. These contribute to impair-Between 20% ments such as balance issues, muscle weaknesses, and 30% of sarcopenia, cardio/respiratory endurance deficits, seniors fall each year decreased flexibility/ROM and decreased reaction times, to name a few. Because of all these factors, it was stressed in “part 2” that a good consultation/ physical and aging assessment tools should be used to specifically identify which body area/system, maybe most compromised. Without exercise or regular physical activity, mus-cles will age more quickly. This will lead to decreased muscle mass, strength, the ability of muscle to DR. DON FITZ-RITSON is a chiropractor and a rehab specialist. He was an Assistant Professor at CMCC. He published 17 papers and 3 chapters on chiropractic.He co-invented a laser and it received 7 Health Canada Approvals. He is focused on helping the aging population live better lives. regenerate and impairment in muscle metabolism. Exercise and physical activity should be emphasized as part of a lifestyle essential to healthy aging.(2) Studies have shown that exercise as a single inter-vention is effective in preventing falls, and the more exercises done the better the results in decreasing falls/fractures and increasing leg strength and bal-ance.(3, 4) Studies have shown that multimodal programs are beneficial for older adults.(5, 6) Im-provement in functional abilities would imply that the potential for falls would decline. In addition, the patient should be advised to assess their home envi-ronment for areas that can contribute to missed steps, balance issues and falls. Patients should be-come more aware of their environment, both at home and in the community. One of the key physiological impairments that occurs with ageing is the loss of lower limb strength and the slowing of mobility. Both of these are tied in with atrophy of Type II muscle fibers, which equate to loss of strength and speed. Falls happen when an aging person loses their balance and cannot quickly regain it, by a quick leg re-position or fast postural adjustment. Aging causes a reduction in the proportion of less efficient fast-twitch Type II skel-etal muscle fibers and subsequently a greater pro-pensity for falls. Strength and speed training can increase both work efficiency and Type II skeletal muscle fiber size and percentage in the elderly, which will support both physical function and fall www.Cndoctor.ca 22 Chiropractic and Naturopathic Doctor December 2020 Icon: Freepik / Flaticon
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