This study aims to assess the comparative efficacy of two distinct balancing training intervention strategies, namely, Wii Fit Balance Training (WFT) and Reactive Balance Training (RBT), in reducing ...older individuals' fear of falling, as well as enhancing their balance and functional mobility.
One of the two groups was randomly assigned a total of 45 individuals. The first group received Wii Fit training, whereas the second group engaged in reactive balancing challenges. The efficiency of the techniques was evaluated using three outcome measures: the Fullerton Advanced Balance (FAB), Scale Time up and Go Test (TUG), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). To facilitate the comparison between the groups, an independent student
-test was employed.
Both experimental groups showed significant improvements compared to their respective control groups in the research study (BBS:
= 0.023;
= 0.036; FAB:
= 0.027;
= 0.044; and TUG:
= 0.017;
= 0.025).
It can be inferred that both reactive balance training and Wii Fit training have the potential to serve as efficacious treatment interventions aimed at mitigating balance deterioration among older individuals.
Objective The Objective Ankle sprains are among the most common injuries in athletes. One of the limitations of people with chronic ankle instability is the lack of postural control. Balance and ...coordination training are among the most common interventions for people with chronic ankle instability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of balance training on postural control in athletes with chronic ankle instability. Methods Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that examined the effects of balance training on postural control in athletes with chronic ankle instability were searched through the Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane and PEDro databases using keywords and concepts of postural control, balance training, and ankle instability from inception until April 2022. The quality of studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. Results Eight RCTs were included in this study, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Balance exercises reduced postural sway, decreased the distribution of center of mass, improved the overall body balance index and anterior-posterior balance index in the Biodex balance system, increased the duration of balance maintenance, and reduced the number of errors in the foot lift test when checking static postural control, and improved the reaching distance in the star balance test when checking dynamic postural control. Conclusion Four to six weeks of balance training can improve postural control in both static and dynamic situations in athletes with chronic ankle instability.
Falls are the leading cause of injuries among older adults. Perturbation-based balance training (PBT) is an innovative approach to fall prevention that aims to improve the reactive balance response ...following perturbations such as slipping and tripping. Many of these PBT studies have targeted reactive balance after slipping or tripping, despite both contributing to a large proportion of older adult falls. The goal of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of PBT targeting slipping and tripping on laboratory-induced slips and trips. To build upon prior work, the present study included: 1) a control group; 2) separate training and assessment sessions; 3) PBT methods potentially more amenable for use outside the lab compared to methods employed elsewhere, and 4) individualized training for older adult participants.
Thirty-four community-dwelling, healthy older adults (61-75 years) were assigned to PBT or a control intervention using minimization. Using a parallel design, reactive balance (primary outcome) and fall incidence were assessed before and after four sessions of BRT or a control intervention involving general balance exercises. Assessments involved exposing participants to an unexpected laboratory-induced slip or trip. Reactive balance and fall incidence were compared between three mutually-exclusive groups: 1) baseline participants who experienced a slip (or trip) before either intervention, 2) post-control participants who experienced a slip (or trip) after the control intervention, and 3) post-PBT participants who experienced a slip (or trip) after PBT. Neither the participants nor investigators were blinded to group assignment.
All 34 participants completed all four sessions of their assigned intervention, and all 34 participants were analyzed. Regarding slips, several measures of reactive balance were improved among post-PBT participants when compared to baseline participants or post-control participants, and fall incidence among post-PBT participants (18%) was lower than among baseline participants (80%). Regarding trips, neither reactive balance nor fall incidence differed between groups.
PBT targeting slipping and tripping improved reactive balance and fall incidence after laboratory-induced slips. Improvements were not observed after laboratory-induced trips. The disparity in efficacy between slips and trip may have resulted from differences in dosage and specificity between slip and trip training.
Name of Clinical Trial Registry: clinicaltrials.gov Trial Registration number: NCT04308239. Date of Registration: March 13, 2020 (retrospectively registered).
Balance training is essential for physical rehabilitation procedures, as it can improve functional mobility and enhance cognitive coordination. However, conventional balance training methods may have ...limitations in terms of motivation, real-time objective feedback, and personalization, which a virtual reality (VR) setup may provide a better alternative. In this work, we present an immersive VR training environment for lower extremity balance rehabilitation with real-time guidance and feedback. The VR training environment immerses the user in a 3D ice rink model where a virtual coach (agent) leads them through a series of balance poses, and the user controls a trainee avatar with their own movements. Here we developed two coaching styles: positive-reinforcement and autonomous-supportive, and two viewpoints of the trainee avatar: first-person and third-person. The proposed environment was evaluated in a user study with healthy, non-clinical participants (n = 16, 24.4 ± 5.7 years old, 9 females). Our results show that participants showed stronger performance in the positive-reinforcement style compared to the autonomous-supportive style. Additionally, in the third-person viewpoint, the participants exhibited more stability in the positive-reinforcement style compared to the autonomous-supportive style. For viewpoint, participants exhibited stronger performance in the first-person viewpoint compared to third-person in the autonomous-supportive style, while they were comparable in the positive-reinforcement style. We observed no significant effects on the foot height and number of mistakes. Furthermore, we report the analysis of user performance with balance training poses and subjective measures based on questionnaires to assess the user experience, usability, and task load. The proposed VR balance training could offer an interactive, adaptive, and engaging environment and open new potential research directions for lower extremity rehabilitation.
Abstract
Background
This study examined whether reactive balance training (exposures to slips and trips) could improve balance recovery and reduce perturbation-induced falls among older adults.
...Methods
Forty-four community-dwelling older adults participated in a parallel, blinded randomized controlled trial conducted in a research institute in Sydney, Australia in 2017–2018 (ACTRN12617000564358). The intervention group (n = 22) underwent three 40 minutes sessions (total 120 minutes) that exposed them to (1) 20 trips, (2) 20 slips, and (3) 10 trips and 10 slips in mixed order, over 2 days. The control group (n = 22) received one 40 minutes session of sham training. The primary outcome was falls (>30% body weight in harness) when exposed to trips and slips at post-assessment.
Results
At post-assessment, a total of 51 falls (23 and 27 falls from induced slips and trips, respectively) were recorded in the laboratory. Relative to the control group, the intervention group experienced fewer total falls (rate ratio RR = 0.40, 95% confidence interval CI = 0.22–0.76), slip falls (RR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.12–0.90) and trip falls (RR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.21–1.12). Eight participants reported adverse events (5 in the intervention group and 3 in the control group) which were related mainly to discomfort caused by a suboptimal harness used in the initial stages of the trial.
Conclusions
The reactive balance training reduced perturbation-induced falls by 60% indicating improved balance recovery from trips and slips. A comfortable safety harness system is essential to prevent discomfort. Reactive balance training may complement traditional exercise programs in fall prevention interventions.
The study aims to compare how 3 balance platform designs affect ankle muscle activation during various functional exercises, all performed on the dominant limb.
Fifteen healthy, active participants ...performed single-leg stance, single-leg squat, and forward lunge on BOSU® Ball, wobble board, stability trainer, and flat ground. Surface electromyography was used to measure Peroneus Longus, Tibialis Anterior, Gastrocnemius, and Soleus activation during these exercises on different platforms and flat ground. Repeated measures ANOVA with two factors (exercise and platform) were used for analysis.
There was a significant interaction between balance platforms and exercises (p < 0.05). Soleus displayed the highest activation amplitudes during the single leg stance and single leg squat on BOSU®, and peroneus longus displayed the greatest activation amplitudes during the forward lunge on BOSU® (p < 0.05).
The present study findings indicated that exercises conducted on a flexible platform resulted in greater muscle activation levels when compared to those executed on both a rigid platform and flat ground. Based on the level of ankle muscle activation in the current study, exercises for the ankle would progress from exercises on to a flat ground to on a BOSU® in order to achieve progressively greater ankle muscle activation.
Level III.
•BOSU® platform enhanced calf muscle activation in single-leg stance and squats compared to other platforms.•BOSU® enhance peroneus longus activation in single-leg stance and squats over wobble board.•BOSU® and wobble board enhance tibialis anterior activation in single-leg stance and squats vs. stability trainer.
Postural control is one of the primary body functions for fall prevention. Unexpected perturbation-based balance training is effective for improving postural control. However, the effect of ...perturbation-based training using assistive devices on muscle activity and co-contraction for standing balance is still unclear. This training is also difficult to perform easily because it requires large instruments or expert guidance. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the effect of perturbation-based balance training using a wearable balance training device (WBTD) on postural control. In this study, fourteen healthy young adult males were assigned to either a WBTD group or a sham group. In the intervention session, participants in the WBTD group were perturbed either left or right direction at random timing by the WBTD during tandem stance balance training. Participants in the Sham group did not receive external perturbation during tandem stance balance training. Before and after the intervention session, participants of both groups underwent unexpected lateral perturbation postural control testing (pre- and post-test). The normalized integral of electromyography (IEMG), co-contraction index (CCI), and center of pressure (COP) parameters were measured in the pre- and post-test. Experimental results showed that the WBTD group in the post-test significantly decreased left Gluteus Medius IEMG, CCI of both Gluteus Medius, and peak COP ML velocity, compared to those of the pre-test ( p < 0.001, p = 0.024, p = 0.031, respectively). We conclude that balance training using WBTD could improve flexible postural control adjustment via cooperative muscle activation.
Background:
Despite a shared purpose of improving functional capacity, the principles of progressive resistance training (PRT) and balance and motor control training (BMCT) are fundamentally ...different.
Objectives:
To investigate the effects of PRT and BMCT on gait performance and fatigue impact in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).
Methods:
A multi-center, single-blinded, cluster-randomized controlled trial with two intervention groups (PRT and BMCT) and a control group (CON). The interventions lasted 10 weeks. A total of 71 participants with impaired mobility (Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW) > 5 seconds or Six Spot Step Test (SSST) > 8 seconds) were enrolled. Primary outcomes were the T25FW and the SSST. Fatigue impact, self-perceived gait function, 6-minute walk, balance, and muscle strength were secondary outcomes.
Results:
In total, 83% completed the study. The primary comparisons showed that BMCT, but not PRT, improved T25FW, SSST, and self-perceived gait function when compared to CON. Secondary comparisons showed that BMCT improved SSST more than PRT, while T25FW did not differ. Both BMCT and PRT reduced the fatigue impact. Finally, the effect of BMCT was superior to PRT on dynamic balance, while PRT was superior to BMCT on knee extensor muscle strength.
Conclusion:
BMCT, but not PRT, was superior to CON in improving gait performance, while both BMCT and PRT reduced fatigue.
The study aimed to investigate the effect of combined balance and plyometric training on the change of direction (COD) performance of badminton athletes. Sixteen elite male badminton players ...volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to a balance-plyometric group (BP:
n
= 8) and plyometric group (PL:
n
= 8). The BP group performed balance combined with plyometric training three times a week over 6 weeks; while the PL group undertook only plyometric training three times a week during the same period. Meanwhile, both groups were given the same technical training. All participants were tested to assess the COD ability before and after the training period: Southeast Missouri (SEMO) test and 5-0-5 test, dynamic balance ability (Y-Balance test, YBT), and reactive strength index (RSI). Repeated-measure ANOVA revealed that after the intervention there was a significant time × group interaction for 5-0-5 COD test, YBT of both legs and RSI (
p
< 0.05, partial η
2
= 0.26–0.58) due to the better performance observed at post-test compared with a pre-test for the BP group effect size (ES) = 1.20–1.76, and the improvement was higher than that of the PL group. The change in SEMO test did not differ between BP and PL (
p
< 0.159, partial η
2
= 0.137), but the magnitude of the with-group improvement for BP (ES = 1.55) was higher than that of PL (ES = 0.81). These findings suggest that combined training could further improve the COD performance of badminton athletes than plyometric training alone and might provide fitness trainers a more efficient COD training alternative.
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