Prime Time Living 9.24.25 - Flipbook - Page 6
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A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, September 24, 2025
HEALTH
Educate Yourself
on Movement
Disorders
How to keep yourself safe
By Lisa Baldino, Contributing Writer
M
ovement disorders are tricky. They involve balance issues, they impact
normal gaits, and they make the body movements seem more rigid and
stiff as opposed to fluid movements. They can play havoc with your lifestyle
and cause unexpected falls that have serious consequences. “Don’t wait until you’ve
already fallen to learn how to prevent falls,” says Lisa Shulman, M.D., director of the
University of Maryland Movement & Memory Disorders Center, where movement disorders like dystonia, essential tremor, and parkinsonian syndromes are treated, including
Parkinson’s Disease.
Educating yourself and your loved
ones about fall prevention is one of the
first recommendations to all patients
visiting the movement disorders clinic.
An estimated 14 million people fall
every year. Falling is the leading cause
of fatal and non-fatal injuries for people
65 and over, according to the National
Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Shulman notes that the number of falls
can be reduced by exercising, which
helps with balance and strength. “We
encourage patients to exercise regularly to maintain fitness and endurance,”
Shulman explains. Use of assistive
devices is also part of the equation, if a
patient is experiencing balance issues.
Walkers and canes should be well
designed and fit your personal needs.
Mobility is key to living a healthy life,
especially if you have a movement disorder. “By all means, you should move
around, but it’s important to stay safe,
as well,” says Shulman. Be proactive
in preventing falls by reducing environmental hazards. This includes home
safety modifications, especially in the
bathrooms and kitchen. Shulman says
these two rooms harbor the greatest
fall risks.
Don’t know where to start? Here are
some suggestions for reducing the risk
of falling at home:
Home Sweep
First, do a comprehensive sweep of
your home to identify potential hazards,
Shulman says. “Throw rugs, bathmats,
transition points between flooring like
ceramic tile to carpet – all these are
potential triggers for falls. Eliminate
the ones you can, and call attention
to the ones that can’t be removed.”
For example, highlight a room divider
with bright electrical tape so you don’t
forget to step up.
Shoe-in
Shulman says, “Wear appropriate
footwear both in your home and when
going outside. Slippers or flip-flops
might be comfortable or fashionable,
but they increase risk. She recommends flat, closed-toe shoes with a
little arch support that you can slip on
and off easily. You should be able to
walk naturally in them.
Shulman says certain movement
disorders are associated with unique
fall risks. For example, if you have
freezing of gait where the feet hesitate
of “freeze” to the floor, you have an
increased risk of falling forward. Why?
When your feet stop in a freeze, your
torso and upper body keep going,
resulting in a forward fall. Be aware
of triggers for freezing of gait such as
turning or narrow doorways.
Grab Bar of Safety
Grab bars are a necessity wherever
you have risk or fear of falling. Grab
bars on both sides of the toilet are a
great way to slide your hips down to
the seat, and they are useful in rising
back up to a standing position. Try
a taller commode, as well. The drop
is not so deep, making the stand-tosit process easier, and vice versa. In
addition, grab bars in the shower and
tub will allow you to hold on in case it’s
slippery or you just don’t feel steady on
a wet surface. Non-slip, rubber mats in
the shower are also a good idea.
Consider bed rails that can help you
to get in and out of bed and prevent
falling out. Have railings on both sides
of stairs inside your home and outside
on porches, decks and patios. Have
a railing at pool entrances, especially
those with short steps to enter the
deeper water.
