My fall last fall: Reaction time and getting older

Conclusions My shoulder is fine now, but it took weeks in a sling, months in physical therapy, and lots of exercises at home to get better. The fact is, I probably could have prevented the fall and shoulder injury I suffered last year if I’d paid more attention to the terrain and avoided tripping in the first place. But I have little doubt that my reaction time has slowed as I’ve gotten older. Is there anything I can do about that? Can we learn to hasten our reaction times or learn to “fall better”? I certainly hope so — for the sake of my own safety and the millions of others at risk of falling. Related Post:Balance training seems to prevent falls, injuries in seniorsFalling TVs injure 17,000 kids a yearThe gender gap in sports injuriesTwo questions can reveal mobility problems in seniorsVitamin D and physical function: Is more better?The post My fall last fall: Reaction time and getting older appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Healthy Aging Prevention Safety falling Source Type: news