Active Day

Jun 7, 2017

Peak Physical Therapy & Sports Performance Provides Fall Prevention Lecture at Active Day of Hingham 6/7/17 Peak Physical Therapy & Sports Performance, a South Shore practice specializing in unique programs that provide a comprehensive approach to treatment in orthopedic, spine and sports medicine specialties, recently provided a fall prevention lecture for the seniors at Active Day of Hingham, an adult day care and home health care center located at 20 Pond Park Road. She is a member of the Peak Fall Prevention Team that includes Director of Education and Clinic Manager of the Quincy practice, Katy Mecurio, DPT, CSCS and Meghan Harrington, DPT. The Fall Prevention Team has been created to educate the community through presentations and interactive exercises, including Tai Chi. Studies have shown that tai chi reduces falls in seniors by up to 45 percent. The program also educates caregivers and healthcare providers to help recognize patients who are fall risks and refer them to specialized programs that help prevent future falls. The program seeks to improve patient safety through screening and intervention. Their mission is to prevent as many falls as possible in the elderly population allowing them to stay safe and independent. Statistics show that 1 of 5 fall related injuries account for 800,000 hospitalization each year and 74 deaths a day. Falling one doubles the risk of falling again. Evidence supports physical therapy intervention for effective management of fall risks and is supported by the US Preventive Task Force, the American Geriatrics Society and the National Council on Aging. A resident of Pembroke, O’Connell graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy. She has spent the last 36 years working on the South Shore, the last several years in management. She has 30 years experience in orthopedics with special training in manual therapies including myofascial release, joint mobilization, strain-counter strain and cranio-sacral therapy. O’Connell has six years experience with treating chronic pain of the head, neck and shoulder and TMJ disorder. While spending time in the home care setting, she received experience in treating vestibular disorders and fall prevention in the geriatric population. “Our program begins with a comprehensive risk assessment to determine the level of risk for patients,” said Eric Edelman, PT, owner of Peak Physical Therapy & Sports Performance. “Falling is a major healthcare issue for our older population as falls often lead to hospitalization and complications that can be life threatening. The good news is that falls are preventable and through education we hope to lower the risk factors.” About Peak Physical Therapy and Sports Performance Located in Norwell, Scituate, Quincy, and a new location in Hanover, Peak Physical Therapy & Sports Performance offers specialized programs tailored to their patients’ needs. They offer spinal and sports injury programs , and have also developed specialized programs that address post-surgical rehabilitation , vestibular disorders , fall prevention , post-concussion syndrome , pediatrics, TMJ disorders , women’s health issues , aquatic therapy and more. These specialized programs combined with their state-of-the-art facilities allow them to meet the unique needs of their patients and achieve the fastest results. For additional information, please call 781-347-4686 or visit www.peaktherapy.com