Chiropractor seeks advice on elderly patient with poor balance.

Question from Dr. Paula Chase

Dr. Weiniger,

I took your course in Bloomington MN Dec 2011 and loved it!

I have a new client around 70 years old, big kyphosis, and two replaced hips. She cannot stand on her left leg while holding up her right – she just kind of twists and collapses.

What are your ideas about the balance component, also about the alignment against the wall? The kyphosis is quite large. I’d love to hear back from you.

Thanks,
Paula Chase

Response from Dr. W

Hi Paula,

Good to hear from you, and glad you’re using the StrongPosture® protocols.

A possible peelback is having her fully support herself on both arms in a doorway or between a wall and a sturdy table.

Then, have her:

Find her BestPosture – focus her on standing tall.
Challenge that BestPosture – keep standing tall, but slightly bend the right leg to add weight to the left leg.
A progression for the peelback – have her stand on a Green Stabilization pad under her standing left leg

Balance and perceived Best Posture are interrelated, so I suggest working on strengthening the one-leg balance to her functional ability while strive towards Best Posture. After all, isn’t balancing on one foot what she does with every step she takes?

Hope to see you at the December class in Minnesota, and hope you consider getting CPEP certified.

Best,
Steven