You need to learn how to fall. Really. Our reaction is often to put out a hand and come down in one piece. You need to crumple at the knees and roll. I remember reading of a class that worked on teaching seniors how to fall better…if you can’t find one in your area, you might look in to aikido or some other martial art with falls and rollssss
A lot of new effort is being put into fall prevention rather than waiting for someone to break a bone. Walking sticks, rolling walkers, strength and balance exercises, proper shoes etc are all part of a good plan.
@abasket, @rosered55 I just mentioned canes because that was my experience. I blew out my knee and for various reasons I had to wait 8 months to have it replaced, so I was using a cane for just about a year (several months after surgery too). I live in NYC where most people have to walk much more to conduct their daily lives than elsewhere, never mind steps to get to/from the subway, and I have several friends who could lead much fuller lives if they used some kind of stick, whether a cane or a walking stick. But they hate the idea and worry that it will make them seem older and weaker than they imagine themselves. I will save the walking stick link!
One really good thing about the cane is that I always, always, always got a seat on the bus or subway, and I definitely needed it! But I am grateful to be able to say “no thank you” and I no longer use subway elevators.
@rosered55 - try tai chi. There are studies on how it improves balance.
For ice conditions on pavement:
For ice conditions on trails:
And let the dog go before he pulls you over.
I’m convinced my downfall will be tripping over one of our 2 dogs or 4 cats during the night on my way to the bathroom.
The community center is having a PT give a talk on balance and coordination. I’m curious as to what will be recommended. Another community center in the area has a fitness class focused on balance. May be time to check it out.
I know I put this in the older thread, but a huge issue I had with Boniva in 2007 when I took it was the interference with the healing of a fracture. I had a minor skiing fall and a small fracture of my tibial plateau (part of the knee cap). It wasn’t a huge deal, but I was in a brace for 6 weeks and non-weight bearing. After the 6 weeks, it turned out that there had not been proper healing and my doctor got a consult from the Mayo Clinic. It turned out that the Boniva had interfered with the bone growth necessary for repair of the fracture. They pulled me off the Boniva immediately and I had surgery to fix the fracture. That’s when I did my first 6 months of Forteo. I did the next 18 months just a couple of years ago.
How is your bone density now, @MomofWildChild?
My scores are still getting a little worse, but not plummeting. I only do the scan every two years. I’ve been given another year of no meds and we’ll discuss the options next December. The bad falls with nothing broken were a big help in that regard.
It’s amazing how you can practice balance and greatly improve.
Look up the side effects of these drugs on the Mayo Clinic site as suggested. The drug company sites seem to underplay them sometimes but Mayo keeps track of reports as part of research
And listen to your body. My mom took Fosamax when it first came out and immediately had extreme muscle cramps. Doctor insisted it wasn’t the drug but she knew it was and refused it. She quit him quick. And of course she was proven right after more reports flowed in. At the time the package insert didn’t list her symptoms as a side effect.
Thank you for noting that jaw pain. My doctor and dentis both poo poo’d my complaint about the issue…so I just stopped taking the Fosamax ADA. I couldn’t bear not being able to chew. Glad to know…I wasn’t nuts…and it’s a real thing.
I have very thorough dental exams FOUR times a year…and my jaw was just fine until I started taking the Fosamax.
I participated in an osteoporosis drug study several years ago. (I was allowed to participate despite not having reached menopause because of my t-scores and other factors.) After the study was over, I was told I had been in the control group and I was given the option of taking a medication. I think it was fosomax. I took it for a very short time but got scared when my jaw started to hurt and I then stopped taking it.
Yikes! This sounds like a very complicated issue which requires very individualized, personalized attention with a skilled provider who pays attention to side effects!
@rosered55, I would suggest you make sure your dog is wearing a harness rather than just a collar when you walk him. I have fallen twice while walking the dog - once when we first adopted him and he spooked at a sound. He pulled the leash and I lost my footing and went up in the air and landed on my side. No breaks as far as I know, but I have a nice lump of scar tissue in my arm. After that I bought a harness for him at the suggestion of our dog walker. It really gives me more control over him. He is a rescue - probably a failed hunting dog, and is a bit skittish. The second time I slipped on black ice while walking him in the dark. Not his fault. If I know it will be icy I will put yak trax on my shoes, but they are a bit of a pain putting them on.
Find or select an old pair of shoes to put the Yak Trax on - and leave them on for the season. Just need shoes that are good enough for the outside walking time with the pups.
Meaning, leave the Yak Trax on a pair of shoes instead of having to put them on, take them off each time.
Very surprised your dentist wasn’t at all concerned about jaw pain when taking Fosamax, thumper. DH is a retired dentist and wouldn’t have ignored a patient complaining about jaw pain. His anecdotes about patient’s experiences with bisphosphonates has kept me from trying them.
When Fosamax first came out the jaw problems were not listed as a side effect.