Falls prevention · Cambridge
Falls prevention and balance physiotherapy at home in Cambridge
A fall can change how much you trust your own body. Specialist physiotherapy at home can help you rebuild strength, balance and confidence.
Why it matters
A fall is rarely just physical
The injury is often only half the story. Worry about falling can lead people to do less: skipping the walk to the shops, avoiding uneven Cambridge pavements, holding on to furniture indoors. Doing less can weaken muscles and stiffen joints, which can raise the risk of falling again.
You do not have to accept this as a normal part of getting older. We cannot promise to prevent every fall, and nobody honestly can. What we can do is work on what can change, such as your strength, balance, reaction time and the way you move, so you fall less often and are less likely to be hurt if you do.
The evidence
What the research shows
Exercise is one of the best-studied ways to reduce falls. It lowers the chance of falling, but it cannot remove it.
- 23%lower rate of falls with exercise programmes overall
- 34%lower rate with programmes that combine balance, functional and strength exercise
- 15%fewer people having one or more falls
From a Cochrane review of 108 trials with 23,407 participants, mostly older adults living in the community (Sherrington et al., 2019). The 34% figure is moderate-certainty evidence.
Try it now
Check your balance at home
It takes about two minutes. Start with safety, then three questions and an optional one-legged stance. Nothing you enter is stored or sent unless you choose to message us.
Where the 5-second mark comes from
In a study of 316 community-living adults over 60, those who could not stand on one leg for 5 seconds were about twice as likely to have a fall that caused injury (relative risk 2.13). It did not predict falls in general, and no single test is accurate enough on its own. We stop the timer at 10 seconds for your safety.
How we help
Three steps, at home
Every visit starts with your own home and your own goals, not a generic exercise sheet.
Assess at home
We ask about your falls, health and medicines, then look at how you stand, walk and turn around your own stairs, floors and furniture. We use validated measures, test the strength of your legs and screen for dizziness and inner-ear problems. If anything needs medical attention, we will tell you.
Retrain strength and balance
A personalised programme based on your assessment: balance challenges that are safe and progressive, and strength work for the leg and core muscles you need for steady walking and getting up from a chair. The strongest evidence is for programmes that combine these.
Stay independent
We teach practical skills for getting up from the floor and what to do if you cannot, and leave you with a structured exercise programme to keep your strength and balance going.
Who it suits
Who we see
NICE’s falls guideline covers people aged 65 and over, and people aged 50 to 64 with a condition that may put them at risk of falls.
Unsteady on your feet
You feel wobbly standing or walking.
A recent fall
You have fallen and want to rebuild your confidence.
A neurological condition
You live with Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis, or have had a stroke.
Confidence slipping
You are doing less than you used to because you worry about falling.
Home visits in Cambridge are by appointment. We start with a free 15-minute call, and sessions are £110. See the booking page for hours.
Questions
Before you book
If your question is not here, call, text or message us on 07777 793832.
Will this stop me falling?
No programme can promise that. Research shows that exercise lowers the rate of falls, and our aim is fewer falls and a lower chance of being hurt.
What should I do if I fall?
If you are hurt, have hit your head or cannot get up, call 999. If you are not hurt, take your time and tell your GP about the fall, even if it seems minor. It helps to keep a phone or alarm within reach at home.
Does this replace NHS falls services?
No. We work alongside the NHS and your GP. If you have already been referred to a falls service, keep that and tell us about it.
Is the balance check a diagnosis?
No. It is a prompt to think about your balance. Only an assessment can look at the reasons behind it.
Sources
References
The figures and thresholds on this page come from these sources.
- Sherrington C, Fairhall NJ, Wallbank GK, et al. (2019). Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Cochrane summary
- Vellas BJ, Wayne SJ, Romero L, Baumgartner RN, Rubenstein LZ, Garry PJ. (1997). One-leg balance is an important predictor of injurious falls in older persons. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2025). Falls: assessment and prevention in older people and in people 50 and over at higher risk. NICE guideline NG249. NICE guideline NG249
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. STEADI: Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries. Source of the three screening questions about previous falls, worry about falling and unsteadiness (a US programme).
Next step
Book your falls assessment
Start with a free 15-minute call to see whether we can help. You can also call or message us on 07777 793832. Our contact page has our other details.
This page and the balance check are general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 999. For urgent advice that is not an emergency, call NHS 111.