Afraid of Falling? Physical Therapy Is Here To Catch You
Marion, 74, was terrified of falling. (Note that her name has been changed.) She’d heard the statistics: Falls are a leading cause of injury among people over 60 and the second leading cause of injury deaths worldwide. And although she’d always been active, she found her balance changing as she grew older, which only deepened her fears.
Like many people, Marion didn’t realize that the fear of falling can also be debilitating. That fear kept her close to home. She didn’t spend as much time with friends and family, and her lifestyle was much less active than it had been ten years earlier–which actually increased her fall risk!
But then Marion began seeing a physical therapist to help with her hip pain. When she shared her concerns about falling, he incorporated fall prevention strategies into her treatment plan, building Marion’s confidence enough that she returned to some of her favorite activities, like gardening and meeting with friends for a weekly coffee.
At Prevail Physical Therapy, we know falls can be frightening. But we also know that fall prevention training can help you face your fears and give you the confidence to live an active, healthy lifestyle, even into old age.
Ready to get started with your own fall prevention plan? Schedule an appointment with us today!
Understanding Your Fall Risk
Everyone’s fall risk is different. No single factor determines your likelihood of a fall; instead, it’s a complex blend of age, lifestyle choices, and health conditions. The more of these factors apply to you, the more likely you are to fall.
Which items on this fall risk list apply to you or a loved one?
- Advanced age (60 years or older)
- Being female (women are more likely to suffer falls than men)
- Joint pain, including from arthritis
- Spells of dizziness or vertigo (a spinning sensation)
- Decline in vision or hearing
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Impaired balance or gait
- Weakness in the lower body
- Use of medications that can cause dizziness or balance issues
- Neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s
- Stroke survivor
- A history of falls
If you think you might be at a high risk of falling, don’t get scared–give us a call! Our team of physical therapists can assess your fall risk and provide you with a customized fall prevention plan that can lower the likelihood of a fall-related injury.
How Physical Therapy Can Keep You On Your Feet
A good fall prevention plan will address your specific fall risks. For example, someone who suffers from regular vertigo attacks would benefit from specialized therapy to address that issue. Meanwhile, someone with Parkinson’s disease doesn’t necessarily need to worry about dizziness but does need to address an impaired posture, balance, and gait.
Our therapists will work with you to decide which specific treatment options will be the right choice for your personal fall prevention plan. That said, there are some commonalities. Here are a few of the techniques we typically include:
- Pain Management: Joint pain can inhibit mobility, resulting in a sedentary lifestyle and increased fall risk. If you suffer from pain, we’ll work with you to manage it safely and effectively.
- Balance Training: Balance training is the foundation of fall prevention. We’ll guide you through specialized exercises that challenge your balance in a safe, monitored environment–ensuring you see improvements over time.
- Strength Training: One of the reasons older people have an increased fall risk is that you lose muscle mass as you age, making it more challenging to move around. We’ll prepare a strength training program appropriate to your ability level and help you restore some of that lost muscle mass.
- Gait Training: This technique focuses on improving your walking patterns. Certain conditions (such as Parkinson’s disease or stroke) can severely change your gait, and addressing those impairments can reduce your chances of falling.
- Regular Exercise Program: Staying active plays a significant role in keeping you from a fall. We’ll suggest an exercise program that suits your needs and abilities, such as a simple walking regimen.
No More Fear of Falling: Call Us Today!
A dedicated fall prevention plan from Prevail Physical Therapy can give you the confidence to age healthfully, no matter your fall risk. Call us today to schedule an appointment for your initial consultation!
Our Patients Get Great Results
“I can’t say enough about how delighted I am with the knowledgeable and welcoming staff at Prevail here in Shoreline. Adam Waggoner and Tom are both very helpful in explaining the various muscle groups we are working on and the why and how the exercises they assign aid my recovery. I also appreciate the perfect balance of caution and aggressiveness in moving me to each next level most effectively. All the supporting staff—especially Vanessa, Jordan, and Sierra—contribute to providing an excellent calming atmosphere for healing and strengthening. Thanks so much to everyone!”
– Domenick D.
Dear UHC Patients,
We are writing to inform you of an upcoming change in our insurance network. Effective April 30, 2025, Prevail Physical Therapy will no longer be in-network with health insurance plans from United Healthcare (UHC).
We understand this may impact your decision to continue care with us, and we want to assure you that we remain committed to providing excellent service and support during this transition.
You may continue your care at Prevail Physical Therapy with a different financial agreement (see below), or your treatment will need to discontinue by 4/30/25, in which case please work with your clinician on a strategy well before then to best conclude your plan of care by the termination date.
You can continue your care with us!
- Out of network coverage: your UHC plan may have “out-of-network” coverage for physical therapy. We can help check this for you, but you should check your plan details as well for specific costs and limitations.
- Time of Service Option: We offer private-pay options, including discounted packages for 5 and 10 visits. Please see our Front Desk Team or website for pricing.
- Insurance change: Depending on your plan, you may be able to switch your insurance to continue in-network coverage. We remain in-network with nearly all other plans. Inquire with your HR department or agent where you purchased your UHC plan and double check with Prevail about our network participation for plans you may change to.
Why This Change Is Happening
Our decision to terminate our contract with UHC was not made lightly and comes after a long period of analysis and thought. UHC’s reimbursement rates (what they pay to us) are among the lowest in the industry—below the cost of providing care—and their administrative requirements for us to be reimbursed for services have always been more difficult than all other private insurances. Our staff works very hard to manage these challenges on our end so that we may serve UHC patients with minimal apparent impact from them. In 2024 UHC implemented even further requirements that have been unpredictable and unmanageable, resulting in the denial of coverage and loss of revenue on hundreds of claims.
Prevail PT is one of the few private practices in the Puget Sound area that was in network with UHC, but it has become an unsustainable relationship financially and enables an insurance company to continue the unethical practice of prioritizing profits over the well-being of their customers. We believe the only way this will change is when UHC loses enough customers that it affects their profit margin more than continuing their current practice.
We’re Here to Help
If you have questions about this change or how it affects your care, please reach out to our team. We are happy to discuss your options, whether that’s transitioning to a cash-pay arrangement or exploring alternative insurance plans.
Thank you for trusting us with your health and well-being. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you and are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible.
Warm regards,
Bruk Ballenger, PT, DPT, founder of Prevail Physical Therapy
Spring Is Running Season! Are You In Your Best Shape?
Are you looking forward to starting running again after a long winter? At Prevail Physical Therapy, our therapists understand running injuries, and we will make sure you run pain-free this spring!
Runners are often misled into believing unproven solutions to avoiding pain and injury. Not many people know that the number-one risk factor for runners to sustain an injury is having had an injury in the last 12 months.
The other most common risk factors are:
- Running experience of 0–2 years
- Restarting running after extended rest
- Overtraining (i.e., more than 40 miles per week)
To ensure you can get back to running or increasing your mileage without pain or injury, start with an injury evaluation and a biomechanical assessment to identify any factors that could contribute to pain or injury.
Our therapists will take a thorough history to understand your training schedule, previous injuries, and overall health status. We use this information to create an individualized program to alleviate pain and get you back to running without limits.
Request an appointment at Prevail Physical Therapy today!
Come Back to Physical Therapy at Prevail!
Feeling pain or slowed down? Come back to Prevail Physical Therapy for a personalized plan to get you strong, pain-free, and moving again!
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Quick & Easy Healthy Recipe
Slow Cooker Irish Stew
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or to taste
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast
- 3 russet potatoes, diced
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (16 ounce) bottle stout beer
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add beef; cook until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Place potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic in a slow cooker; top with browned beef. Pour 1/4 cup beer into the same skillet and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of beef off of the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Stir in tomato paste; cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour beer mixture into slow cooker. Pour beef broth, remaining beer, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper into slow cooker. Cook on Low for 8 hours.
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Refer a Friend
Our purpose at Prevail Physical Therapy is to leave a greater impact on the community around us. In order to achieve our goal we want to change as many lives as possible as we become a beacon of positivity in our community.
Meet Our Team
Bruk Ballenger
PT, DPT
Sam Kidder
PT, DPT
Rachel Krieder
PT, DPT
Keagan Tice
PT, DPT
Adam Waggoner
PT, DPT
Stephanie Dunagan
Office Manager
Vanessa N.
Client Services Coordinator
