title: Current guidelines for using physiotherapy to prevent falls.
abstract: Falls are one of the primary causes of reduced quality of life, disability, and mortality in the elderly. 90-100% of limb fractures in this population result from falls. Preventing falls is a difficult problem, and unfortunately not fully appreciated in Poland. One in three people aged 65 and over experience a fall at least once a year. In the case of community-dwelling individuals, 5% of falls lead to fractures, while among those living in nursing homes and hospitals this figure reaches 20%. Malfunctions of many internal organs and systems can contribute to falls, so that 400 different risk factors have been described; therefore, fall prevention should be multi-dimensional. At the current state of knowledge even a 40% decrease in fracture risk would be possible, provided that the patient is treated by a multidisciplinary team (family practitioner, rheumatologist, orthopedic surgeon, neurologist, physiotherapist, psychologist). Guidelines have already been developed on this subject in Europe and around the world. The present study reviews current opinions on osteoporosis and fall prevention, based on recent literature.
authors.affiliation: Zakład Chorób Kości i Stawów, WOZ Collegium Medicum Uniwersytetu.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Czerwiński
authors.forename: Przemysław
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borowy
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jasiak