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Next Back Class Starts 2nd February

Our Back Classes are the ideal way of finding out how to improve the mobility and strength of your lower back, under the instruction of experienced, chartered physiotherapists, in a fun, group setting.

Just £50 for six sessions

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older people

About older people and fitness

though our bodies are wonderful things, there are some factors associated with longer life that will also affect the state of our fitness. It has been recognised, that whilst many older people remain active, their lifestyle becomes more sedentary than before, and few keep up the recommended 30 minutes of moderate activity five times a week to retain fitness and optimal heart and lung function; you may have noticed you have slowed and get out of breath going up Sheffield’s hills, or even your stairs at home.

Ageing also predisposes a body to certain medical conditions such as altered blood pressure, heart complaints, emphysema, diabetes, stroke and Parkinson’s. Whether you have such conditions or a clean bill of health, a combination of ageing factors will gradually weaken your bones and joints, slow your muscular and nervous system and affect your sensory system, decreasing vision and hearing. These factors can affect how your body reacts to movement, putting you at risk of injury when moving, lifting or carrying objects, or making balance less effective, increasing the risk of a fall.

What can physiotherapists do to help?

Working with older people can present the physiotherapist with a set of challenges not seen in other areas of practice. The physiotherapist not only has to know how the body works physically, but has to also understand the changes which can occur in a normally aged musculo-skeletal, neurological, and cardiovascular system. One person may present with problems in all or a combination of these systems affecting mobility and / or causing pain on movement. Older people tend to also be prescribed more medications than young people, and these themselves can have an impact on sleep patterns, health and blood pressure. Psychological issues may seem more pronounced, such as decreasing memory, low mood, anxieties and concerns about safe mobility, all which may start to restrict what people feel capable of doing.

Physiotherapists who specialise in the management of older people are able to assess how these issues are affecting your social life, whether this means independence in your own home, or your ability to get out and about.

Assessments can be conducted in the clinic but also in your own home if you prefer, so that any problems in your normal environment might also be reviewed, such as:-

a review of mobility – balance, getting on/off chairs and the bed, walking and turning, ability to climb stairs and walk outdoors;
strength and flexibility, especially in relation to how it affects function;
causes of pain and whether these can be improved, or how you might alter how you do things so as not to aggravate the problem further;
movement capability following an injury, illness or surgery.

Treatment options might include:-

an incremental rehabilitative programme of exercise to build strength and improve flexibility;
mobilisation of joints and muscles to ease pain and help recover optimal movement;
the use of acupuncture to help symptoms of pain and altered sleep that is impacting on movement and recovery;
advice on how you might address environmental problems, such as devices to help mobility, how you might alter the position of furniture to make movement safer etc.

Contact us if you have any of these problems:-

✓ Slow recovery following a recent operation, such as hip replacement, or a recent illness that put you in hospital, such as pneumonia which has generally weakened your body.

✓ You have recently fallen, injuring yourself and are now worried about future falls.

✓ A neurological condition, such as stroke or Parkinson’s affecting your mobility.

✓ A long term condition, such as arthritis that would benefit from review.

✓ Require advice on a specific exercise programme to build general strength and flexibility, or to improve stamina and general function.

Remember, we are able to assess and treat you in the comfort of your own home, so you don’t have the worry or inconvenience of having to travel to the clinic, which is the last thing you need if you are having problems getting about. find out more about Home & Community Visits>>

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