Physiotherapy for Mobility & Balance Issues in Bradford

Feeling unsteady on your feet affects confidence as much as safety. People who are worried about falling often start avoiding stairs, uneven ground and outings, and doing less makes the legs weaker and balance worse. At WellCare Medical in Bradford, physiotherapy for mobility and balance issues builds strength, steadiness and walking confidence so everyday activities feel safer.

• older adults who feel unsteady or have had a fall or a near miss
• people recovering from a hip, knee or ankle injury or surgery
• people who have lost strength after an illness or a hospital stay
• people with arthritis that makes walking and stairs difficult
• people with a neurological condition (see stroke and neurological physiotherapy)

Balance depends on leg strength, joint flexibility, eyesight, the balance organs of the inner ear, sensation in the feet and reaction time. A decline in any of these, or the side effects of medication, can make you unsteady. Usually several factors are involved, which is why an assessment comes first.

• Leg and core strengthening. Stronger legs are the best protection against falls.
• Balance training. Exercises that challenge your steadiness safely and get harder as you improve, including standing on one leg, stepping and turning.
• Walking practice. Work on step length, pace, turning and coping with slopes, stairs and uneven ground.
• Flexibility. Mobility for stiff ankles, hips and backs.
• Home safety advice. Lighting, rugs, footwear, rails and other simple changes.
• Walking aids. Advice on whether a cane or walker would help, and how to use one properly.

Your physiotherapist asks about any falls, your medical history, your medication and what you find difficult. They test your leg strength, walking and balance using standard timed tests, which give a starting score to measure progress against. You are supervised throughout, so the tests are safe. Wear flat, supportive shoes.

See your doctor promptly about new or sudden dizziness, fainting, repeated falls, sudden weakness on one side, or unsteadiness that began after starting a new medication. Sudden loss of balance with facial drooping, arm weakness or slurred speech is an emergency: call 911.

If a fall has already caused an injury, see slip and fall rehabilitation. Foot problems that affect walking may be helped by custom orthotics and adjustments for posture and gait. Stiff joints that limit walking are covered under physiotherapy for joint stiffness. A neurological assessment is available when balance problems need closer investigation.