Postural sway is a term that refers to how much the body moves while someone is standing still. Everyone experiences this to some degree or another. However, there are certain health conditions that can have a bigger impact on postural sway.
In general, the less postural sway that someone has, the healthier they are. It means that they have better balance, and that means that the body is spending a lot less of its resources and energy trying to regulate things. It’s not a hard and fast rule, just a general indicator. It can’t be used on its own to determine a diagnosis, but it can be used as evidence that more follow up with a doctor is needed.
Additionally, someone with a high degree of postural sway tends to be at a greater risk of falls and the injuries that can come along with this.
Now, if you stand up and try to remain motionless for a few moments, you will probably notice that you have some postural sway yourself. (I will wait a moment for you to test this out.) This is completely normal. As mentioned above, everyone experiences this. Besides just noticing it on yourself or someone else, there are tests that doctors or other professionals can use to measure postural sway and get a better idea if it truly is a concern or falls within the spectrum of normal. This typically involves the use of sensors and can determine with much more accuracy the level of sway that someone is seeing, even if it’s not visible to the human eye.
There are several health issues that can impact postural sway, both physical and mental. The biggest of these is dementia and Parkinson’s disease, but they are not the only things. Anxiety and ADHD both can have a big impact on postural sway, for example. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can also have an increase on postural sway symptoms.
There are some exercises that you can do on your own if you believe that this is impacting you. Using an exercise ball, balancing activities on each leg, balance beam activities, walking more, and hopping can all help to strengthen muscles, improve balance, and help to compensate for sway. Exercise tends to be good for all of us, but these particular exercises are geared toward improving balance.
As always, it is very important that you work closely with a doctor. A medical professional will be able to give you the guidance needed to treat this and any health conditions behind it with greater accuracy. It’s also smart to talk with a doctor before you begin any new exercise routine. The point of exercise is to improve health, not to potentially place yourself at greater risk.
When someone suffers from dementia or other health issues as they age, the help of a professional can become necessary. The sooner that this help is received when it’s needed, the less likely someone is to experience a gap in their care or suffer any sort of negative consequences because of it.
If you have questions about how senior care fits with your family’s needs, please reach out.
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