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Physical therapy can make a difference—not just in recovery, but in falls prevention.
Falls are a major public health concern. According to the CDC, more than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States, and 20% to 30% of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries. Falls can exact a toll long after the initial injury, outranking chronic kidney disease, asthma, and Alzheimer's disease and other dementias in terms of effects on disability-adjusted life years, according to a 2017 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors study.
The physical therapy profession's role in falls risk reduction and prevention is supported by a strong body of research. What we do works.
Sept. 22, 2023 was National Falls Prevention Awareness Day.
Recommended Content
Jan 16, 2013 / Article
PTs help people manage their fall risk.
Sep 21, 2020 / Handouts
Advocate to employers, peers, and the general public on the value of physical therapy in reducing falls.
Sep 20, 2019 / Article
Here are some APTA-recommended resources that can help you gain a deeper understanding of the impact of falls on our health system, and what can be done to reduce falls risk.
Additional Balance and Falls Content
Apr 5, 2024 / Position Paper
APTA strongly supports this act aimed at expanding and increasing access to falls screening and prevention in order to reduce the use of opioids that often occur as a result of a fall.
Sep 19, 2023 / Article
Patients receiving physical therapy within three months of diagnosis reported significantly lower rates of falls as much as 12 months later.
Dec 9, 2022 / Article
In the U.S., mortality rates from unintentional falls have risen dramatically between 2000 and 2020, nearly tripling for women 85 and older.
Sep 1, 2022 / Feature
All older adults should be screened for risk of falling. With National Falls Prevention Awareness week happening in September, here's a recap of reasons why and resources to help PTs meet that standard.
Mar 23, 2022 / Roundup
APTA continues to expand an important member benefit. Here are the latest additions.
Jan 13, 2022 / Article
Functional movement disorders (FMD) are characterized by a sudden onset of neurological symptoms resulting in abnormal involuntary movements with symptom variability that cannot be explained by a conventional neurological or medical disorder.
Sep 22, 2021 / Roundup
For Falls Prevention Awareness Week, a collection of recent research articles that focus on the intersection between falls and COVID-19.
May 27, 2021 / Review
A new report from CDC highlights the need for more emphasis on falls prevention — including referrals for physical therapy.
Sep 22, 2020 / News
The magnitude of falls as a public health issue is significant — but more attention to falls prevention could make a difference.
Mar 13, 2020 / Review
The rate of deaths related to traumatic brain injury received in a fall has climbed 17% in 10 years.