Subtle Messages II: One of my patients told me she wouldn't go back to her gynecologist because she wanted to send her to physical therapist to "learn to fall." It was hard not to laugh. I know that preventing falls in the elderly is very important, but she's a healthy, active 50-something, and I just had a mental image of a bunch of middle-aged women in a work-out room falling down over and over again.
On a more serious note, though. Isn't there such a thing as acting too early for prevention? Is a 50 year old going to remember how to fall when she's 80? Heck, would a Hollywood stunt man remember how to fall if it took him by surprise at any age?
Learning to fall makes a lot of sense. The first thing we were taught in karate class was how to fall in a variety of postures without getting hurt.
ReplyDeleteMy father taught me how to fall when I was about six, and it's instinctive for me now, my body's unlikely to forget. I often fell on slippery ice in my 40's (we had cold winters then); I have not had occasion to fall lately (in my 60's) but I believe I'm ready.
ReplyDeleteI think it's never too soon to learn how to fall. Why break a bone unnecessarily by being too rigid?
- PRecision Blogger,
Tobias D. Robison
I was going to add that I learned to "take ukemi" - to learn to fall - when I was a kid taking judo lessons. Early this summer I was running after my greyhounds at the dog park and got clipped at the knees by an enthusiastic Newfoundland pup and went down hard.
ReplyDeleteOr would have if not for my early training. Instead of planting my face into the ground I rolled with the fall and ended up on my feet.
That being said, it took years to make it reflexive. I doubt that these women will remember at gut level unless they make it part of a daily routine, practicing now to prevent another injury in the future.
I went to the police academy about 10 years ago, and for the full year, our Physical Training primarily consisted of learning to fall.
ReplyDeleteIt worked well, to this day when I fall I don't get injured and I've fallen sevreal times.