Nagpur: With age, senior citizens tend to feel threatened and helpless as they become dependent on others. They tend to stay indoors due to the fear of falling, as a fall is one of the commonest occurrence in senior citizens. Yet, falling inside the house, mainly in the bathroom, is one of the most common happening in people above 60 years of age.
“Fall is like any other disease of old age. It needs treatment. But mind you, medicines can’t treat this disease, though exercise can,” says Dr Sanjay Bajaj, geriatric specialist, who has already trained over 100 senior citizens in fall prevention through exercises (not physiotherapy). He calls it as Geriatric Exercise with De-Prescription Physical Activity (GEPDA).
Dr Bajaj, however, doesn’t train a person in exercise alone. It is a package which regulates the person’s diet as well as managing all chronic diseases common for that age. It is also about minimizing medications. “In medical terms now, there is a trend of doing away with as many medicines as possible. This is called de-prescription. We minimize medicines for common ailments like blood pressure and diabetes. I guarantee, with our ten simple exercises, any senior citizen can get rid of falls in just 10 days. The exercises basically build the required muscles for body coordination and tune the body against fall,” says Dr Bajaj.
Weak muscles cause fall, and weak bones cause fractures. But instead of just strengthening bones and muscles daily, medical consultation for managing chronic diseases is as essential. “I have managed to reduce drug requirements for blood pressure to even less than 50% in many patients. The blood pressure of a patient is measured first 15 minutes after arrival for exercise. Then, in between the exercise it is measured 4-5 times again. The person gains confidence here that with even so much exercise the BP doesn’t rise and agrees to reduce medicines. Same strategy applies for diabetes,” said Dr Bajaj.
Vision too plays an important role in fall, hence the programme also includes basic eye tests. Exercises form 80% of the programme, with 20% going toward vision, and 30% to various investigations like the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) test, vitamin D and B12 tests. “A dexa scan is also done. This test can help doctors predict actual sites of fractures in a patient in next 10 years. There are extremely good non-invasive treatments available for osteoporosis treatment, like injections. Some are needed lifelong but with very big gaps like once a year, every six months,” explained Dr Bajaj.
The programme also involves diet plan, disease specific diet, sarcopenia (muscle loss) control, or rebuilding muscles, and minimizing drugs.
Jaypee Brothers, a medical publisher, is publishing a book written by Dr Bajaj titled ‘Ten simple steps to fall prevention’ in two months.
Pandharinath Landge, 75, a retired English professor says that he met Dr Bajaj at a medical camp for senior citizen. “I have a knee injury, and difficulty in walking. But Dr Bajaj has promised him that I will neither require a surgery, nor a walking stick, after 10 days. It is no miracle but a scientific treatment. So, I joined this programme,” said Landge, who is taking the exercise course.
Sarita Agrawal, 59 was at Dr Bajaj’s centre for her knee pain. “I couldn’t balance my body when I stood up. I benefited so much from the exercise schedule that I do it daily. It has taken away the knee pain, and I have no difficulty in balancing. I have written the exercises down in case I forget them when I am out of town,” she told TOI.
Shyamsaroj Mishra, 67, says that he was living under the constant fear of falling as he couldn’t balance himself while walking. But now he is on his own, as the fear of falling has completely gone. “But the exercises have to be done regularly. If there’s a gap, I need my stick back. So, I religiously do these exercises,” he said.
