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tevie Beitscher gradually began noticing a decreased sense of balance while walking her dog on uneven surfaces and when walking around her large, hilly yard in Rancho Palos Verdes. These “balance issues” started about four years ago and didn’t go away. The most pronounced symptoms occurred when trying to pick fruit. “I noticed that sometimes I wasn’t real stable. My yard has lots of hills and slopes and fruit trees, and I noticed when I was trying to pick fruit—standing on a slope, looking up—I felt like I was going to fall over,” Beitscher explains. This sensation would come and go, but
these balance classes taught her new ways to strengthen her muscles and her vestibular system and increase her confidence so she can continue to do the things she loves, like go on long walks with her golden retriever, Peaches. “My problem with my vestibular system not fully functioning likely came from aging, and for me, it’s not going to go away. But the classes and exercises I’ve learned help in managing it [balance/stability issues],” she says. “We didn’t learn anything like this when I was a PT or in school! These exercises better prepare you and keep you stronger and more aware of all kinds of things.” Specifically, the Fall Prevention and
B.E.S.T (Balance, Endurance, Strength, Training) balance class, features exercises created by Yolande Mavity, a former gymnast and physical therapist. She tailors each exercise individually to help all patients increase coordination and balance, strength and flexibility. “Yolande is great in that she is so positive and really individualizes the class for everybody, because everyone has different symptoms and is at a different level. She is good at breaking down each exercise you get. If it is too easy, she makes it more of a challenge, or if it’s too hard, she’ll change it the other way. Everyone is pushed,” Beitscher says.
THE FALL PREVENTION AND BALANCE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM HELPS PEOPLE WHO EITHER EXPERIENCE FREQUENT FALLS OR HAVE BALANCE ISSUES THAT IMPAIR THEIR MOBILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
Balance Improvement Program helps people who either experience frequent falls or have balance issues that impair their mobility and quality of life. Azmina Haji, director of Rehabilitation Services at Torrance Memorial, said the classes are perfect for anyone who is compromising their life by avoiding certain activities due to fear of instability. “Some people, including my own dad, can be fearful of getting out to restaurants or leaving home to go to settings that are uneven—like a church picnic or another person’s house or even just gardening. Some people just want to continue things like playing golf but limit their favorite activities for fear that they may fall,” Haji explains. To help people get out more and improve their quality of life, the neuro balance courses offer exercises to help people improve or better manage balance. For example, Haji says that some exercises might include practicing walking on uneven floors or in tight spaces to build muscle skills and confidence. One of the classes in the program, the Other balance classes in the Neuro Balance Center cover stress reduction, t’ai chi principles, foot and posture exercises, home safety suggestions and tips for multitasking—taught by licensed physical and occupational therapists. All the balance classes emphasize how to increase flexibility, balance, endurance and strength, since people also lose these as they age. “Yolande’s class has taught me that even though it might get hard to bend over and tie your shoes, you just shouldn’t stop doing it and buy slip-ons. No—the more you keep doing, the better you are and the more flexible you are. You strengthen those areas,” Beitscher explains. In fact, she says she is pushed in each class and continues to find new things to work on, which is why she has taken five classes and will continue to do so. If she were ever in a panicked situation—such as her dog chasing a squirrel while on a walk with her—she says she wants to have fall prevention techniques at the top of her mind. Continuing with neuro balance classes is one way to do that. “The bottom line is that you really want to prevent a fall, because that can change your direction in life,” says B Z] ??\?????]?YH?Z] ??\? ?][?[?HX]?] H[? H?\?[??[[??H?[?\????Z] ??\? ?ZY] ?\? ?\?[?? ??] ???K[? ?H?]? ?H?YYY ? ?YZ?YYX?[\??\?[??K? X??[ K ?H??X?YH? Y\?Y ?\?\?[??H?]??[[??H[??[ ?]?[?[??\??]??[??HY[[?X[ ??H ?\? H?\?? ? ?Y?\?\? ?? YX\??Y??[?\?[???Y[?]?\?HY][?[?\???????\?Y ??Y? H?]??]\???[[??H?[?\??H ?X\???X???[?? ??Z] ??\?H??Y\? \?X?[ \?\\?[? \?X?X[?\??\?[? ??? S?B???SSQT? ? L??