BROOKHAVEN — TRI Therapy owners Richard Barker, Mike Griffith and Andy Biggs are offering a new service to help people obtain better balance and health with Gait Balance and Foot Center. The company celebrated a ribbon cutting at 509 Brookway Boulevard right next to TRI Therapy. 

Barker said a few years ago TRI Therapy received referrals for gait and balance issues and he and his business partners decided to create something different by offering a separate business to fix balance and feet issues. The company does not just work with older people, they work with amputees, those with multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injuries, strokes and other head injuries, people who have undergone knee replacements, hip replacements, feet and ankle surgeries. 

“Our whole idea is we wanted to prevent falls though,” Barker said. “One in four people over the age of 65 fall each year of those who fall, 1 out of 12 seek medical care and one out of five of those will have a procedure done. Complications from falls and medical issues are what cause death.”

He said they decided to invest in equipment to help people improve their gait and balance. Gait Balance and Foot has a Tekscans balance system which evaluates the stability of weight bearing in feet and a MobileMat from Tekscan to capture important data. 

Barker added they wanted to do things right so they looked for a way to measure pressure on feet using a computer system which can measure things the human eye may not be able to see. 

He added four people could be looking at a person’s foot pressure and have different observations. The Tekscan can produce biomedical data which can help the team make informed decisions to help customers. 

Feet play a big role in pain and muscle strength. Barker said they are also the first part of the human body to lose strength as humans grow older. Once the feet go, ankles, knees and hips are next. 

“We lose strength and motion as we age. We are making sure we maintain it by practicing. Older people need fall prevention and this is a need which isn’t ever going away,” Barker said. “We want to keep them staying independent. That is our mission and our goal and what we are trying to achieve. We are bound to help them to where they can do things safely and for themselves.”

Barker said a doctor’s referral is not needed to get help although if you want to pay with insurance it might be needed. Gait Balance and Feet is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.