How to Fall
You might not think that tripping and falling from a height of several feet will do a lot of damage, but you are completely wrong.
Falls are the most common cause of injury to emergency departments, with an estimated 8 million cases each year . These types of falls are common in older people, but falling at any age can be dangerous, especially if you hit your head. A concussion does not take long, which can cause brain damage, confusion, severe headaches, dizziness, loss of vision, memory loss, and trouble concentrating. You, too, can die from a blow to your head, even if it seems rather bland. You can get a subdural hematoma , a life-threatening condition in which the brain bleeds and intracranial pressure rises. It is difficult to detect without a CT scan and symptoms may not be visible .
So you fall. What are you doing? You need to focus on protecting your head, according to Dr. Jessica Schwartz, a physical therapist who specializes in training athletes and people with prosthetic limbs so that they can fall without injuring themselves. When you feel yourself losing your balance:
- Twist so as not to fall straight forward or backward if possible. Fall to your side.
- Raise your chin to protect your head.
- Do not fall on outstretched arms. You will likely break your wrists and still hit your head.
- Place your arms at your sides to cushion the fall and protect your hips, or raise your arms up to soften your head with your biceps, depending on the trajectory of the fall.
- Bend your knees and try not to resist the fall. Do what skydivers are trained to do and ride with him, allowing yourself to relax a little and shift your body weight to distribute and absorb the blow.
- Try to land on your hip, glutes, and shoulder . Never fall on your knees, as you can easily injure your kneecaps.
Here’s a helpful video demo from News Satellite , created by Elliott Royce, a 95-year-old man who has fallen over 14,000 times, to demonstrate how you can fall safely:
It is imperative that a senior learns these fall safety basics, but it is useful knowledge that anyone can have in their back pocket. The fact that you have not fallen before does not mean that over time this will not happen to you – and it will only take one unpleasant spill.
If you do hit your head, seek medical attention . Even a mild concussion can be severely bifurcated. If you see someone fall and hit their head, insist that they seek medical attention. They may say they feel good, but when it comes to head injuries, it’s better to play it safe than sorry.