Feeling shaky or scared after a fall is common and understandable, but moving less usually leaves you weaker and less steady. See a GP after any fall, even if you were not hurt — they can check your balance and may refer you to a falls service for strength and balance training, a home safety check and a review of your medicines. In some areas you can refer yourself. Rebuild walking in small, planned steps, keep a phone or personal alarm on you, and practise what you would do if you fell again. Call 999 if someone has fallen and cannot get up, or may have hurt their head, neck, back or hip.
This guide is for the weeks after a fall: getting your confidence back and walking again with arthritis. For icy days, see our ice and snow guide. If night-time medicines might have played a part, see sleeping tablets and night falls. For the full prevention checklist, use our falls prevention guide.
Fear of falling is common — and it can get better
Age UK says it is not unusual to become cautious and lose confidence after a fall, and that this can stop you doing the things you used to do and leave you more isolated. Moving less can feel safer, but Age UK says staying active is the best thing you can do to stay mobile and independent. The NHS says that if you have fallen or are worried about falling, exercises to improve strength, balance and flexibility will help make you stronger and feel more confident on your feet.
Arthritis adds its own worries: a knee that gives way, stiff hips on the first steps of the morning, painful feet, or hands that cannot grip a rail well. These are all things a physiotherapist, occupational therapist or podiatrist can help with, so say them out loud at your appointment.
See a GP after a fall — even if you were not hurt
The NHS advises seeing a GP if you have had a fall or are worried about your balance or mobility. A GP can check your balance and may refer you to a specialist falls service. The NHS says help from a falls service may include:
- checking for problems such as muscle weakness, weak bones (osteoporosis) or eyesight problems
- strength and balance training
- checking that your home is safe and making adaptations
- reviewing any medicines you take
In some areas you can refer yourself to falls services without seeing a GP. Ask your GP reception, check your surgery website or search for NHS falls services near you. NICE falls guidance says a full falls assessment should explore any concerns about falling, and long-term conditions such as arthritis are listed as something to take into account.
Take a short note: when and where you fell, what you were doing, whether you felt dizzy beforehand, which joints were sore, and all your medicines. If you are on steroids, also ask about bone protection. If tablets make you drowsy or light-headed, ask for a medication review — and do not stop prescribed medicines yourself.
A step-by-step return to walking
Build confidence the same way you build strength: one small step at a time, practised often. If a physiotherapist has given you a plan, follow theirs.
- Indoors first. Walk a clear, familiar route at home several times a day, at times when you are not rushed or tired
- Add strength and balance. Aim for activities that improve strength and balance on at least 2 days a week. Try the NHS balance exercises next to a kitchen worktop, our balance training guide or tai chi for balance
- Then short trips out. Start on a dry day, in daylight, with someone you trust, then go alone on the same route
- One new challenge at a time. A kerb, a slope, a bus, a busy shop — add one, and repeat it until it feels ordinary
- Use the right kit. Well-fitting shoes with a good grip (see our walking shoes guide) and, if advised, a walking aid checked for height and grip — see choosing mobility aids
- Plan around stiffness. Many people find joints loosen up later in the morning. Use your usual pain plan before a walk, and on flare days shorten the walk rather than cancelling every walk
Have a plan for if you fall again
Knowing what you would do often takes some of the fear away. The NHS advice is to stay calm and check for pain or injuries first. If you feel able to get up, roll onto your side, get onto your hands and knees, crawl to something stable such as a heavy chair, put one foot flat on the floor and stand up slowly, then sit and rest. If you cannot get up, use your phone or personal alarm, shout or bang for help, keep warm with anything you can reach, and change position about every 30 minutes.
- Keep your phone or a personal alarm on you, including at night and in the bathroom
- Age UK describes telecare options such as bed or chair sensors that can alert someone if you do not return
- Ask a physiotherapist to practise getting up from the floor with you, so you know what works with your joints
- Tell a friend or relative your plan and where a spare key is kept
Make home and nights safer
- Clear clutter, trailing wires and loose rugs; use a non-slip mat in the bath or shower; consider grab rails and stair rails
- Use a night light on the route to the toilet
- Have regular eye tests and get your hearing checked, as the NHS says ear problems can affect balance
- Eat well and drink enough — the NHS says not eating and drinking enough can make you lightheaded
- Ask the local council for a free care needs assessment if you need equipment or changes at home
When worry will not settle
If fear of falling is keeping you indoors or stopping you doing things you value, tell your GP or falls team. NICE falls guidance says clinicians should consider cognitive behavioural approaches when concerns about falling are not helped by strength and balance exercise. In England, you can refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and low mood without seeing a GP. Our arthritis and mental health hub has more support.
If you care for someone who has fallen
- The NHS says to keep them comfortable and warm, and carefully help them up if they can get up — but do not try to lift them yourself
- Afterwards, encourage practice rather than taking over every task. Walk beside them on new routes until they are ready to try alone
- Go with them to the GP or falls service if they would like you to, and ask for a carer's assessment for yourself
When to get urgent help
- Call 999 if someone has fallen and cannot get up, or may have injured their head, neck, back or hip
- Call 999 for severe hip or groin pain, being unable to put weight on a leg, or a leg that looks shorter or is at an odd angle after a fall — these can be signs of a broken hip
- Contact NHS 111 if you have fallen and may be in pain, injured or unwell, or you hit your head and take a blood-thinning medicine, feel dizzy or are being sick
- See a GP after any fall, or if you are worried about your balance or mobility
Frequently asked questions
Should I stay in until I feel confident again?
Usually not. Staying in tends to make muscles weaker and the fear bigger. Start small and safe — indoors, then short trips with company — and build from there.
Is using a walking aid giving in?
No. The right aid, at the right height, can take load off a painful joint and help you walk further with more confidence. Ask a physiotherapist or occupational therapist to check the fit.
Could my arthritis medicines have caused the fall?
Some medicines can cause dizziness or drowsiness, especially when several are taken together. Ask your GP or pharmacist to review them. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine yourself — some, such as steroids, can be dangerous to stop suddenly.
Sources and further reading
- NHS: Falls (what to do, falls services and prevention)
- NHS: Physical activity guidelines for older adults
- NHS: Balance exercises
- NICE NG249: Falls — assessment and prevention in older people
- Age UK: Preventing falls
- NHS: Head injury and concussion
- NHS: Broken hip
- NHS: Walking aids, wheelchairs and mobility scooters
- NHS Talking Therapies
Educational information for people in the United Kingdom — not a diagnosis or personal medical advice. Charity no. 1218461. Pending clinical review. Everyone's situation is different, so always follow the advice of your own GP, pharmacist, physiotherapist or rheumatology team. If you feel very unwell, call 999 or go to A&E. For urgent advice, contact NHS 111.
Continue with related help
- Falls prevention — full home and balance checklist
- Ice and snow — winter falls
- Sleeping tablets and night falls — medicines at night
- Balance training — exercises in three levels
- Tai chi for balance — gentle steady practice
- Mobility aids — sticks, frames and rollators
- Strength after a flare — build back up
- Medication reviews — dizzy or drowsy tablets
- Bone protection on steroids — protect your bones
- Arthritis and mental health — when worry takes over