Finding Confidence in Mobility

As a physical therapist, I treat many people who experience a fear of falling. According to a recent study, 50% of individuals who have had one fall and 20% of individuals who have never had a fall report being concerned with falling and that they decrease their activity level as a result. This in turn leads to functional decline, social isolation, and decline in quality of life for patients.

Naturally, we don’t want any of these negative outcomes for our patients. That’s why we work with each patient individually to make sure they have confidence in their mobility. Of course, the path to greater mobility and balance differs by patient according to their circumstances and needs, but our goal is always the same: help our patients improve their mobility confidence.

How to Achieve Mobility Confidence

Mobility confidence is only achievable when patients know their strengths and weaknesses, understand their limits, and continually strive to improve or maintain their mobility. We work with each patient during their initial visit to determine their current abilities and set goals for how they would like to improve.

From there, we endeavor to help each patient grow and improve their mobility each visit. We do so through three key ways:

• Help you improve physical strength
• Help you expand your mental certainty
• Support your emotional confidence

Each of these three factors is just as important as the others. Just improving your physical abilities doesn’t remove any worries you may experience. Additionally, the fear of falling can be emotionally draining and painful, which is why we do our best to support your emotional growth during this process, along with your physical strength and mental certainty.

Progress Differs by Patient

It’s okay if improvement comes slowly. Not everyone progresses at the same pace, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s why we work with each patient to build an individualized plan. Finding your own mobility confidence is a journey and experience that only you can have for yourself. That said, we find that many of our patients are able to see an improvement in their balance and mobility in as little as two weeks. But again, results vary by patient, and your outcomes will be dependent on your current situation, any other conditions, and the amount of time you are able to dedicate to improving.

Additionally, research shows that even those individuals who experience degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and arthritis can improve their balance and mobility safety with focused strengthening and balance specific tasks.

Improve Mobility Confidence Today

For more information about how you can become more confident in your mobility, contact one of our therapists at Galloway Therapy at 501-319-7659.