Elderly Care in Las Vegas NV
If your loved one is having issues with her balance, your biggest fear is most likely that she’ll fall and hurt herself. The key to helping your loved one to improve her balance can be focusing on the muscles that can help her to stay upright while she’s walking.
Tight Hip Muscles
When your loved one spends a lot of time sitting, her hip flexors, which are the muscles that help her hips to move properly, become too tight. Because those muscles are bunched up tightly, they’re not able to offer your loved one’s hips the range of motion that she might expect. As your loved one moves, those muscles can loosen up, but they need more long term stretching.
Hamstrings that Are Too Tight
Your loved one’s hamstrings are the muscles along the backs of her thighs. When those muscles are too tight, they pull in both directions bringing pain to both the legs and to the lower back. This can also be a side effect from sitting or lying down too often.
Under-utilized Calf Muscles
Just like with the hamstrings, your loved one’s calf muscles have an impact in both directions. They can cause your loved one’s ankles to overcompensate, which can lead to weaker ankles. Tight calf muscles can also cause your loved one’s knees to rotate inward, sending her off balance. These muscles can also be some of the ones responsible for keeping your loved one from taking longer strides, which can help her to keep her balance.
Lack of Core Strength
Your loved one’s core muscles are the muscles around her midsection in the front and back of her body. These are called the core muscles because everything branches out from them and they help to keep the entire body stabilized.
When those muscles are weak, it’s more difficult for them to help your loved one to keep her balance readily.
Work with your loved one’s doctor to determine the right exercises for your loved one. Once you have a plan, let other family members and your loved one’s elderly care providers know so they can all help her build her muscle strength.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE ARE CONSIDERING IN-HOME ELDERLY CARE IN LAS VEGAS, NV, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT GOLDEN HEART SENIOR CARE. CALL TODAY 702-800-4616.