What is Geriatric Physical Therapy?

Geriatric physical therapy focuses on the unique physical needs of adults ages 65 and older. It helps seniors improve their mobility, strength, balance, and overall physical function, which can be affected by age-related changes, injuries, or illnesses. The goal is to enhance their quality of life, independence, and ability to perform daily activities. Muscles and joints tend to lose strength and stability over time. This change can negatively impact independence in performing daily tasks and movements, like changing positions, standing, walking, and going up and down stairs. The focus is more on building strength and endurance to help:

• Keeping active

• Preventing deconditioning (reversal of previous conditioning)

• Preventing muscle atrophy (the wasting away of muscles)

• Decreasing the risk of falls and related injuries

• Maintaining independence in performing daily activities

Most Common Conditions:

• back pain

• balance and coordination problems

• chronic pain

• dizziness and vertigo

• falling

• foot pain

• frailty and weakness

• post-surgical bone fractures

• pre- and post-surgical joint replacements (knee, hip, or shoulder)

• reduced flexibility

• stability and gait issues

• stiffness

• tremors

What We Treat:

• Strokes

• Parkinson’s disease

• Multiple sclerosis

• Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

• Osteopenia and osteoporosis

• Sports injuries

• Pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation

• Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass)

• Vestibular and balance disorders

• Chronic pain

Treatment Options:

• Personalized treatment plans: individualized programs based on specific needs, taking into account medical history, physical abilities, and goals. 

• Focus on function and independence: improve the ability to perform daily tasks, such as walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of chairs, and maintaining balance. 

• Fall prevention: through exercises that improve balance, coordination, and strength, as well as education on fall-risk reduction strategies. 

• Education and support: on proper body mechanics, exercise techniques, and strategies for managing physical limitations. A variety of exercises that improve strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance to aid in activities and movements and prevent overall deconditioning, including:

  • Lower body stretches, especially for the lower back, hamstrings, and hip flexors, to promote good mobility and joint alignment and to prevent tight muscles or stiff joints from interfering with proper muscle activation

  • Endurance training to keep the heart and lungs healthy and to improve circulation using cardiovascular equipment like treadmills and stationary bikes

  • Lower body strengthening exercises that target the glutes and quads (muscles in the thighs and buttocks) to maintain strength, such as sit-to-stands, squats, step-ups, leg lifts, and bridges

  • Balance exercises to help you maintain your stability when standing, walking, and changing directions, including static balance exercises on flat and uneven surfaces, weight-shifting exercises, marching, and tandem walking heel-to-toe

  • Body weight exercises to help improve your mobility. If equipment is used, usually only light weights or bands are provided to supply increased resistance without overloading joints.

• Home exercise programs: tailored home exercise programs to continue rehabilitation and maintain progress outside of therapy sessions. 

• Collaboration: work as part of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with physicians, nurses, and other specialists to provide comprehensive care. 

Physical activity is important for people of any age, but it's especially important for older adults over 65 to prevent deconditioning and to maintain functional strength, endurance, and range of motion for everyday activities. An increased sedentary lifestyle (sitting or lying down for long periods of time) in older adults can quickly lead to weakness and muscle atrophy, poor balance, chronic pain, poor activity tolerance, and increased risk of falls.

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Adults ages 65 and older should aim to do something physical every day, even if it is just light activity like walking around your home, cooking, or cleaning. Performing exercises that improve strength, balance, and flexibility should be done at least two days a week. You also should aim to complete at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity over the course of an entire week. Moderate intensity activities include brisk walking, hiking, aerobics, bike riding, dancing, and sports and recreational activities.