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Article: Falls prevention in individuals with Parkinson's disease.
- Article from:
- Palaestra
- Article date:
- June 22, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Challenge Publications Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Burden of Falls
Yearly, over 280,000 hip fractures are attributable to accidental falls, and those numbers are expected to climb to 340,000 in the year 2000 and 650,000 by 2050 (Brody, 1985). Nationwide, the cost of treatment and rehabilitation for falls-related injuries exceeds $10 billion (for a review see Apple & Hayes, 1994). Falls are a major factor in loss of autonomy and a contributing factor in 40% of nursing home admissions (Smallegan, 1983). Strategies in the prevention of falls are desperately needed.
Lower limb weakness has been identified as an independent risk factor for falls (Tinetti, Speechley, & Ginter, 1988). In a subsequent ...