Physical Therapy for Grandmothers

We recently published an article on physical therapy for new moms, which leads us to another important person in everyone’s family tree; you – the grandmother.

As you know, there a new pains, strains, discomforts, and functional limitations that come as you mature, and some of these are more prevalent amongst older women than older men. That being said, the duties of being a grandmother don’t subside. You may babysit, bake, or even lead family hikes and the like. You fully intend to keep doing so well into the foreseeable future. However, the aforementioned physical conditions make it all a challenge. This is why you need to make physiotherapy a regular part of your health and wellness plan. Below is a breakdown of how you will directly benefit from physio as the beloved matriarch of the family.

4  Ways Grandmothers Directly Benefit from Seeing a Physiotherapist

1. Helps Mitigate Symptoms of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis Canada reports that over 2.3 million Canadians have osteoporosis, and the majority are women. In fact, an estimated 33% of women will experience it as they age. More concerning, is that over 80% of all fractures in women aged 50 and up are caused by osteoporosis. This is a major blocker to quality of life for the grandmothers out there. The good news, is that you don’t need to live in fear of this bone disease when you intervene early with physical therapy. Physiotherapy clinics that specialize in women’s health will create a custom exercise program to strengthen your bones and muscles over weeks and months which will help prevent and manage osteoporosis. If you live in the Greater Vancouver BC area, call 604.558.2273 to learn more.

2. Helps Mitigate Symptoms of Arthritis

The Arthritis Society reports that 6 million Canadians have arthritis, and that women are more likely to have arthritis than men. Approximately 60% of people with arthritis are women. The inflammation or swelling of one or more joints has a direct impact on your quality of life, but once again we draw your attention to how physical therapy will be beneficial.

Interventions such as k-taping can be helpful in managing the condition, while physio-clinic prescribed acupuncture and IMS among other treatments can help depending upon how mild to severe your symptoms are. Of equal importance, is that using physio to manage arthritis is a safer alternative to dangerous painkillers. If arthritis is getting in the way of your life, and you’re in the Greater Vancouver area, contact our Burnaby clinic to ask about what we can do to ease the pain.

3. Helps Improve Balance and Prevent Falls

The World Health Organization states that older women are especially prone to falls and increased injury severity. While the loss of balance and risk of falling increases with advanced age, you don’t have to concede and contribute to those statistics. Physiotherapy can be applied to directly minimize the potential for such an unfortunate event that can sideline your plans to be the best grandmother you can be. A physiotherapist can work with you to improve your Gait (manner of walking), vestibular function, and core fitness (and thus balance). View more about how we reduce your overall risk of falling.

4. Helps You Enjoy Active Time with Your Grandkids

Everything that we’ve addressed above, and more, indicate that physiotherapy will vastly improve your quality of life by reducing pain and discomfort while improving musculoskeletal function and mobility. The direct result of this, is that you’ll be able to enjoy more active time with your grandkids. What greater investment (and payoff) could there be?