Although a retiree, Laura stays active, teaching at a local Bible school. Laura found her self very weak, unsteady, and off balance after winning her fight against breast cancer. She became so unsteady that she avoided uneven surfaces, stairs, and even grass, in order to avoid falling. She had difficulty getting up from low chairs, and just getting turned around in bed was a major task. She had started using a cane when outside the home, and never walked without touching the walls or counter at home.
Laura scored poorly on standardized tests balance and mobility tests – demonstrating that she was at an increased risk of falling. The strength in her legs – particularly around the hips – was also poor, making it more difficult for her to control her balance, and get around safely.
Her therapy focused on strength training specific to her weak muscle groups, alternating with balance training exercises. She was given written and illustrated instructions for easy tasks to complete at home, which she could perform several times each day, to improve her balance and strength.
Each time she returned, her balance and strength training tasks were exchanged for ones appropriate to her stage, and she was given new homework for the intervening days between therapy sessions.
Over the course of 10 visits, she was able to return to walking in public without a cane, get up from any chair she decided to sit on, and felt perfectly safe walking across the grass, down a ramp, or stepping up a curb without assistance or a cane. Although her strength was not yet completely normal, she was able to continue working on her strength at home with the instructions she received at her final visit, and was free to return without a prescription for a year.
“I could hardly walk without losing my balance, but now everything is good.”