Accidental Falls, Aged, Exercise Movement Techniques Clinical Trial
Official title:
Balance Recovery Training for Fall Prevention in Retirement Communities
Falls are the leading cause of injuries and injury-related deaths among older adults over the
age of 65 in the United States. To help reduce the number of these falls, there is growing
interest in using reactive balance training to improve the reactive response to common
perturbations (e.g., tripping and slipping). The goal of this study was to compare
treadmill-based reactive balance training versus Tai Chi performed at, and among residents
of, older adult senior housing. We hypothesized that participants randomized to reactive
balance training (RBT) would show better performance on reactive balance tests compared to
participants randomized to Tai Chi. We also hypothesized that participants randomized to Tai
Chi would show better performance on clinical tests of balance and mobility compared to
participants randomized to RBT. The long-term goal of this work is to demonstrate the value
of RBT over Tai Chi for preventing falls resulting from sudden, external perturbations.
Thirty-five residents of five senior housing facilities were allocated to either
treadmill-based reactive balance training or Tai Chi training. Both interventions were
performed three times per week for four weeks, with each session lasting approximately 30
minutes. A battery of balance tests was performed at baseline, and again one week, one month,
three months, and six months post-training. The battery included six standard clinical tests
of balance and mobility, and a test of reactive balance performance.
n/a