Similar to the health complications associated with muscle loss ... FALLING for older adults, is the most common reason for hospitalization and later immobility! Why Do Falls occur? Falls most often occur in and around the home , or during your activities of daily living.   There are a huge number of factors that contribute to an unexpected fall.   Fall risk factors include: Intrinsic Factors (specific to each person): Age-related changes in physical function, chronic disease (i.e. diabetes or dementia or arthritis), adverse reactions to prescribed medications (or polypharmacy), being dehydrated, having a bad sleep, etc. Extrinsic Factors (specific to one’s immediate environment): Type of flooring in your home, uneven or damaged walkways, clutter, moving objects, weather related conditions (i.e. ice or slush) Situational Factors (Related to the activity being performed): Rushing to get out of the house or to the washroom, using unsafe methods of retrieving ob

Unfortunately much of what are told to do ( which appears to be the easiest things ) is ineffective for preventing or reversing Sarcopenia. Things like: -no resistance chair exercises -walking -light swimming or group aquafit -light weight circuit training The above has health value, just not for treating muscle loss (sarcopenia). Now that we know ...             WHAT do we do ? First we need to further understand more about muscle loss: With age changes in skeletal muscle fiber type and size occur with a decrease of Type 2 (fast twitch) and fat tissue infiltration into the muscle (Walston, 2012) After the age of 30, adults begin to lose 3-8% of their muscle mass every decade which results in a loss of muscle strength and power in addition to reduced mass (English & Paddon-Jones, 2012). Up to 50% of muscle mass can be lost by the 8 th decade (Walston, 2012) Muscle weakness is: ...consistently reported as an independent risk factor for high mortality

Muscle loss occurs naturally with the aging, however its the speed of decline and amount that is very preventable.   Much like bone, your muscle density and strength gradually decrease over time. This is called primary sarcopenia . In our experience, most people do not realize... this does not need to happen!  Particularly in the extremes that it does, AND... it is an underlying cause of many diseases and conditions!  It is a WIN - WIN situation i f treated ...there is MUCH a person can do to prevent this.  What are the causes of Sarcopenia? o    Increased inflammation (visceral fat) that amplifies the rate of muscle wasting o    Decreased physical activity and inadequate protein/calorie intake   o    Hormonal changes resulting in decreased hormones that are needed for muscle growth (testosterone, estrogen, growth hormone) o    Age related molecular changes o    Decreased motor neurons due to apoptosis (cell death) In fact did you know

What is a person “to do” while living with Parkinson’s’? Understandably, there are now more medications for the management of *symptoms, but what about the ‘aging senior’ that is labelled with this disease… Do not become the disease!   This is difficult while managing everyday. Why not take some progressive action? But what action? Two important, successful treatments that provides numerous benefits to the PD senior are: 1)       WBPA – Whole Body Periodic Acceleration therapy 2)       Exercise Prescription/Therapy WBPA (or Exer-rest) has been shown to aid persons with PD.   WBPA increases vasodilation through an increase in eNOS (nitric oxide) into the blood stream.   This NO helps facilitate neuro-relaxation through specific neurotransmitters excitation. This has the effect of reducing fatigue, enhancing motor performance, recovery and overall mental awareness. Whole Body Periodic Acceleration Therapy (WBPA) is a recogn

As we age, we start to notice that many of the everyday activities that we could once do with ease and independently, often take a little more effort, focus and sometimes assistance . You or your loved one may be starting to experience the effects on your daily lives of reduced mobility and difficulties with balance, sensory loss (such as vision or hearing) or even changes in your ability to think or remember. While these are all part of the natural aging process, just because our bodies are slowing down, it does not mean that we have to stop doing the things that we want or need to do in our lives! Occupational Therapists are skilled at enabling individuals to safely perform their daily activities in their home or community environments. Occupational Therapists define the word ‘occupation’ as . ..the activities and tasks that individuals perform in their everyday lives that have value and meaning for them. This can include looking after themselves (self

From an orthopaedic surgeon standpoint there are varying types of Total knee replacements (TKR) protheses and procedures.   These can vary because of the patient’s weight, age, gender, anatomy, activity level, medical history and general condition.   With this in mind, the patient’s success level post-surgery is dependent upon the nature of the Protheses + Post-surgical care (absence of vein thrombosis and other post-surgical complications) + Rehabilitation + PRE-surgical condition. Depending on the surgical recommendations and system you are involved with, your success can be limited or even undermined without your knowledge.   It cannot be expressed enough the first IMPORTANCE: good pre-surgical condition for the patient.   For instance, if you know your surgery is coming six months in advance, it is good practice to enroll into a good quality pre-habilitation program .  WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?   It means to improve the health of your card

  If you believe that medicine will save your life, why do you not believe exercise or movement will? This topic is a common discussion we have with many folks, especially those over 70years of age. The idea that being sedentary, meaning moving less than 10% of your day which is a lot, can kill you is a stretch.  However, not being able to move is a difficult thing for many elderly people. We cannot understate the value for those who may, with a little assistance and professional guidance, move better and increase mobility. Here are some very important reasons why exercise and movement is so important for seniors in particular. AND why intervention is helpful when mobility is difficult. 1.  Falls Prevention and reflex maintenance      It may come as no surprise that falls are the number one cause of fractures, trauma, loss of independence, injury and even death. Due to the falls, secondary infections during hospital admission and/or surgical intervention rank hi