As Physical Therapists, we frequently work with patients on restoring lost function from pain, injury, surgery, or disease. Our brains have evolved over time to find and focus on the areas of our life that are missing, often at the expense of what is present. For example, the painful back or swollen knee prevents us...
Dementia is one of the most common mental health disorders affecting many older adults around the world. Authors estimate 50 million around the world suffer with this diagnosis at a staggering cost of 1 trillion dollars a year. Although the causes of dementia are multifactorial previous researchers have shown many modifiable risk factors, including smoking,...
The CDC reports one in four adults over the age of 65 have sustained a fall in the previous year. The rate of falls is expected to increase as our older American population continues to age. Consequences of falling include fracture, head injury, and a higher risk of mortality after the fall. Authors report a...
The negative effects of aging on the body’s muscular system are well established and contributes to increased disease risk, sedentary activities, and most importantly, a loss of independence. The effect of sarcopenia begins after age 30 in most adults and results in a 5-10% loss of fat free muscle mass for each decade of life...
Exercise remains one of the best interventions to improve cognition, memory, and executive function in older adults, as well as, those with a decline in these functions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The research has developed from correlational studies showing more active individuals demonstrated higher cognitive function to more recent studies showing the impact...
The United States witnessed a significant increase in life expectancy over the 20th century with much of the improvement attributed to improved sanitation, vaccinations, medications, and access to healthcare. In addition, significant improvements in lifestyle factors were also noted including nutrition, smoking cessation, and exercise. Exercise plays a unique role in aging due to its’...
By the year 2030 it is estimated that 1 in every 5 Americans will be of retirement age. This stat is stunning and will have a large impact on our country’s economic future as we look to care for these aging adults. Much has been written on our medical system’s ability to extend the lifespan...
The negative effects of aging on the musculoskeletal system are well known and include a loss of bone density, as well as, muscle strength and mass. These effects begin in your 30s, but the speed of this loss is largely dependent on your health and activity level. More active adults who participate in both weekly...
Yogi Berra famously said, “when you come to a fork in the road, take it”. These forks come frequently in life and allow us to make decisions and take actions which have large impacts on our future relationships, employment opportunities, and our health. The decision to exercise in adults is an important one because of...
Sarcopenia is the age related loss of muscle mass found in all adults during the aging process. Specifically, the average male can expect to lose 8-10% of his muscle mass each decade after age 30. Thankfully both the amount and speed of this loss can be attenuated through strength training. Females and males participating in...