305: How To Overcome The Fear Of Falls Training With Naomi Casiro

Do you work with people who have falls? Maybe you've seen that just training fall prevention isn't quite doing enough. In this episode hosts Erin Gallardo, PT, DPT, NCS and Claire McLean, PT, DPT, NCS talk with physiotherapist Naomi Casiro, founder of NeuroFit BC and creator of the Functional Movement and Falls training paradigm about why adding falls training to an overall balance plan is imperative. We explore why traditional fall prevention—focused mainly on prevention—has not been enough, and why a two-part approach that includes both prevention and explicit "how to fall" training is crucial, especially for people with Parkinson's disease and older adults who are still falling at high rates. Naomi explains how teaching patients to roll, dissipate force, and land safely allows therapists to challenge them more intensively and functionally in rehab, while also preserving autonomy and true informed choice around mobility and assistive devices. They discuss how falls training progresses from simple, low-level skills on the mat rather than immediately falling from standing, the importance of repetition (even for those with cognitive impairment), and the central role of addressing anxiety. We also discuss how often providers themselves are scared to perform this training and what to do about it. Naomi shares how her background in martial arts and clinical experience with frequent fallers led to her "aha" moment about falls training, and previews upcoming opportunities to learn her approach through the NeuroFit Academy, an online Functional Movement and Falls Training Foundations course with NeuroCollaborative, live Q&A follow-ups, and a practical hands-on session at the World Parkinson Congress.

You can reach out to Naomi and learn more about the fall training courses she teaches for healthcare professionals here:

www.neurofitbc.com

www.neurofitbc.com/courses

Free exercise videos: www.neurofitbc.com/move

naomi@neurofitbc.com