My 92 year old Grandpa (I call him Papa) uses a walker. A walker is a device used to assist individuals with balance and mobility while walking. Anyone who has ever slipped on a patch of ice knows how unnerving it can be to lose your balance - for a moment your world is literally turned upside down. Yet balance, the ability to control and maintain your body's position as it moves through space, is such an integral part of daily life that most people rarely give it conscious thought. There are conditions, however, that may impair your sense of balance and contribute to falls. The effects of aging are the most common causes of balance problems. According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), falling is a common and potentially serious problem: 1 in 4 people over the age of 65 will fall during the next year.
Your brain, muscles, and bones work together to maintain your body's balance and to keep you from falling, whether you're walking, rising from a chair, or climbing stairs. They also let you navigate sloping or uneven surfaces. Balance relies on three types of sensory information. The first of these is visual: Your eyes tell you about your environment and your place within it. They help you sense obstacles and potential dangers, and form motor memories that prevent falls. The second type of sensory information comes from your body's internal sense of spatial orientation, independent of vision. This allows you, for example, to close your eyes and then wiggle your foot in any direction (go ahead and try it).
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