On the surface, balance is a simple concept – it’s the ability to maintain a desired posture. When our balance system is working properly, we rarely think about how complex it actually is to maintain our balance.
When the balance system is compromised though, it’s almost impossible not to notice – and it becomes obvious why Balance Training should be a part of exercise therapy programs.
Balance is particularly important in preventing falls, which are a major cause of injury, especially among the elderly. These injuries can have serious consequences, limiting mobility and quality of life, and often leading to a rapid decline in health.
Assessing balance is a crucial step in detecting and treating underlying problems that could affect quality of life.
How does the Balance system work?
Controlling the amount of Body Sway – the constant small corrections made by the body to maintain balance – requires the co-operation of multiple systems: the Central Nervous System (CNS) and three main sensory systems: Somatosensory, Vestibular and Visual.
The CNS receives information from these sensory systems, analyses their inputs and provides corrective outputs to activate the correct muscles and stabilise the body.
getback™ Clinical Director Geoffrey Mackay says there is potential for ‘miscommunication’ between the main components of the balance system.
‘In order to maintain a specific posture, these corrections have to be very delicate and accurate, and this is not a simple task,’ he says.
‘For example a sudden change in input, misinterpretation of the input, delay or failure to send output, or slow processing of the output information can all have an effect on postural balance.’
Can Balance data help Exercise Therapy outcomes?
While it’s not possible to evaluate the quality of the neurological system’s messaging, getback is able to evaluate the output via Body Sway.
‘By changing the input, for example – standing with the eyes closed – we can evaluate the nervous system’s response by measuring the change in Body Sway,’ Mackay says.
‘Analysing change in Body Sway allows us to measure the impact of different inputs on a person’s balance and offer guidance to improve balance in a training program.’
Ainone Balance® is an industry-leading technology used by getback to assess balance and neurological performance in a simple and fast way. Ainone Balance measures Body Sway accurately and provides a numeric value to help our Exercise Scientists and Exercise Physiologists develop and monitor individual Balance Training programs.
How Balance evaluation supports other getback programs
Pain interferes with balance and musculoskeletal problems are often reflected in postural stability.
Mackay says there is an association between back pain and reduced standing balance.
‘In people with back pain, Body Sway is more rapid and occurs over a wider area than in people without back pain,’ he says.
‘The intensity of pain can also affect sway.’
Mackay says an there is also a link between impaired balance and lower limb injuries.
‘Balance assessment should be included in knee and hip rehabilitation programs to help clinical decision-making on how to retrain postural control,’ he says.
The new getback South Melbourne clinic will offer a range of new Lifestyle Exercise Programs which incorporate Balance training.
getback™ South Melbourne Lifestyle Exercise Programs
1. Back & Hip Program
2. Back & Knee Program
3. Neck & Shoulder Program – Variation 1
4. Neck & Shoulder Program – Variation 2
5. Balance
