Dr. Vaishali Suri (P.T.)
Ageing and Physical Function
Ageing is associated with progressive decline in muscle strength (sarcopenia), balance, bone density, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness. These changes increase fall risk, reduce independence, and clearly affect quality of life.
However, much of this decline is preventable and reversible with appropriate exercise and physiotherapy — it is never too late to start.
Fall Prevention: A Public Health Priority
Falls are the leading cause of injury and injury-related death in adults over 65. In India, approximately 30% of community-dwelling elderly adults fall each year, and falling once doubles the risk of falling again.
Hip fractures from falls are associated with significant mortality: up to 25–30% of elderly adults with hip fractures die within a year. Physiotherapy-based fall prevention programmes reduce fall rates by 23–40%.
Risk Factors for Falls
Muscle weakness (particularly in the legs), balance impairment, visual problems, polypharmacy (multiple medications), home hazards, and cognitive decline. We screen for all modifiable risk factors and address them.
Geriatric Physiotherapy Services
Strength Training
Resistance exercise reverses sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) at any age. Multiple studies in adults in their 80s and 90s demonstrate considerable strength improvements from resistance training.
Progressive lower limb strengthening is the most important fall prevention intervention.
Balance Training
Otago Exercise Programme (OEP) — a home-based fall prevention programme with strong evidence — reduces falls by 35%. We train patients in the OEP and provide personalised balance programmes.
Post-Fall Rehabilitation
After a fall (especially hip fracture), physiotherapy addresses the injury, the fear of falling (which leads to activity restriction and further deconditioning), and the underlying risk factors.
Home Visit Physiotherapy
For elderly patients who cannot easily travel to clinic, our home visit physiotherapy service brings expert care to your doorstep.
Geriatric Physiotherapy in Faridabad
At Realign Rehab Clinic, NIT-5, Faridabad, we help elderly patients maintain independence and mobility. Contact us to discuss home visit or clinic physiotherapy.
Why Exercise Matters More as We Age: The Science of Ageing
Sarcopenia — age-related muscle loss — begins as early as age 30 and accelerates after 60, with 1–2% muscle mass lost per year without intervention. By age 70, most inactive adults have lost 30–40% of their muscle mass.
This muscle loss is the primary driver of frailty, falls, and dependence in older adults. The key insight: sarcopenia is highly modifiable with exercise — strength training in adults over 80 still produces real muscle gains, improved function, and reduced fall risk.
It is never too late to benefit from physiotherapy.
Geriatric physiotherapy in Faridabad is one of the most rewarding areas of my practice. I see elderly patients who have been told by well-meaning family members to "rest" or "take it easy".
And these patients often have the most to gain from targeted physiotherapy. Strength, balance, and independence are not fixed — they are trainable at any age.
The Otago exercise programme alone reduces falls by 35% in community-dwelling older adults. That is a more effective fall prevention intervention than most medications.
Geriatric Physiotherapy Evidence
- ✦ Otago programme reduces falls by 35% in community-dwelling older adults (Cochrane 2019)
- ✦ Strength training at age 80+ still produces 20–30% muscle strength gains (NEJM studies)
- ✦ Hip fracture mortality: 20–30% within 1 year — fall prevention physiotherapy directly addresses this risk
- ✦ Exercise reduces dementia risk by 30% — active older adults maintain cognitive function noticeably better
Falls Prevention Programme at Realign Clinic Faridabad
Falls in older adults are the leading cause of injury-related death and disability. In Faridabad, many elderly patients with arthritis, neurological conditions, or de-conditioning are at high falls risk.
Our falls prevention programme includes:
- Falls risk assessment: TUG (Timed Up and Go) test, Berg Balance Scale, gait analysis
- Otago Exercise Programme: Evidence-based 17-exercise home programme of leg strengthening and balance exercises — delivered in the patient's home or clinic
- Home hazard assessment: Identifying trip hazards (rugs, poor lighting, bathroom safety) and recommending modifications
- Assistive device assessment: Correct walking frame, cane, or rollator prescription and training
- Medication review referral: Many medications increase fall risk — we coordinate with GPs where appropriate
home physiotherapy for Elderly Patients in Faridabad
Realign Rehab Clinic provides home physiotherapy visits for elderly patients across Faridabad — particularly for those who cannot safely travel. Home visits cover:
- Strength and balance exercises in the patient's own environment
- Mobility and transfer training on actual home surfaces
- Home safety assessment and recommendations
- Caregiver education and handling techniques
Conditions Commonly Treated in Elderly Patients
- osteoarthritis treatment of the knee, hip, and hand joints
- Osteoporosis and fracture recovery
- Post-surgical rehabilitation (knee/hip replacement)
- Parkinson's disease and neurological conditions
- Stroke rehabilitation
- Chronic back and neck pain
- Deconditioning after illness or hospitalisation
Frequently Asked Questions — Geriatric Physiotherapy
Q: Is it safe for an 80-year-old to do physiotherapy?
There is no upper age limit for physiotherapy benefit. Patients in their 80s and 90s show clinically real improvements in strength, balance, and function with appropriate physiotherapy.
Exercise intensity and type are adapted to the individual's capacity and medical status. Even frail patients who cannot stand independently benefit from chair-based exercises, passive mobilisation, and transfer training.
Q: Can physiotherapy help after a hip replacement in elderly patients?
Yes — post-hip replacement rehabilitation is essential and produces major improvements in function, walking distance, and quality of life. We provide home-based post-hip replacement physiotherapy across Faridabad for elderly patients.
See our post-hip replacement rehabilitation guide .
Q: Does Realign Clinic provide home visits for elderly patients in Faridabad who cannot travel?
Yes — home physiotherapy visits across Faridabad are available for elderly patients with mobility limitations, post-surgical patients, and those requiring caregiver training. Services cover NIT, Sector 14, Old Faridabad, Ballabhgarh, Green Field Colony, and surrounding areas.
Call +91 9818185589 to arrange.
Book Geriatric Physiotherapy in Faridabad
Call +91 9818185589. Realign Rehab Clinic, NIT-5, Faridabad. Home visits available across Faridabad. Also see: women's and geriatric care services, balance training.
References
- Sherrington C et al. (2019). Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
- Fiatarone MA et al. (1994). Exercise training and nutritional supplementation for physical frailty in very elderly people. NEJM, 330(25):1769–1775.
Content reviewed by Dr. Vaishali Suri (P.T.), BPT Orthopedics, MIAP.