balancebombom prospekt paperturn - Flipbook - Side 14
Naturlige udfordringer for balancen
All of us have taken a tumble at
some point in our lives.
But as we grow older, the risks
associated with falling over
become greater: we lose physical
strength and bone density, our
sense of balance deteriorates
and we take longer to recover
from a fall.
Alarmingly, this process begins around the
age of 25. The reasons for this are varied and
complex, but by understanding them better,
we can find ways to mitigate the effects of old
age.
The first thing to know is that the human
body is inherently unstable, with a small
base relative to its height. Maintaining an
upright position and moving from place to
place while staying balanced is a continual
challenge for our bodies. Our success depends
on the well-being and integration of many
different systems within our bodies.
There are three main systems that provide
us with the sensory information about our
bodies and the surrounding environment
that we need to maintain balance. These are
the visual (eyes), vestibular (inner ear and
semi-circular canals) and somotosensory
(sensation feedback from joints in ankles,
knees, spine and neck) systems. To maintain
balance, our brains must rapidly and continuously integrate and then process the sensory
information received from these systems, and
this integration is often worse in older people
who are prone to falls.
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This unconscious process prompts finely
tuned, co-ordinated responses from our
motor and muscle systems. These responses
are produced as a result of planned and unplanned challenges to our stability – such as
bending over to tie your shoelace, or recovering from a playful push from a friend – which
make up our everyday movement patterns.
Taking a tumble
Falls occur when the demands on postural
control exceed our bodies’ capabilities. This
might happen when your body’s pattern of
movement is interrupted or suddenly changed
by an unexpected hazard – for instance, when
you trip over. Or, it could happen when your
body is displaced beyond its support base and
your attempt to correct the displacement is
delayed, inadequate or inaccurate – for example, when you’re pushed forcefully.
Falls are more likely to occur as you get older.
With age and inactivity, the unconscious
processes your brain goes through to help you
balance may not integrate as well or as quickly
as they used to – in other words, your cognitive abilities decline. As a result, maintaining
balance and preventing harmful falls may
require ever greater mental focus and prove
more fatiguing. Poorer cognition can also
limit your ability to multitask: the “stops
walking when talking” phenomena, which
you may have observed among your elderly
relatives, reflects this difficulty.
Another result of ageing is that the quality of the
information provided by your visual, vestibular and somotosensory systems declines. Your
eyesight gets worse, with increased susceptibility
to glare and poor depth perception. This can
lead you to misinterpret the lay of the land, or
misjudge distance, which can cause a fall.
