Balance

Question 1

What is balance?

Answer 1

Where the centre of mass remains over the base of support.

Question 2

What do we need for balance?

Answer 2

• Sensory input - Feedback
• Central processing
• Motor output - Feedforward
• Head and trunk righting reactions
• Ankle and hip strategies
• Saving and righting reactions

Question 3

What do we need for sensory input?

Answer 3

• Sensory receptors/pathways- muscle spindle, GTO, joint - ASCENDING tracts
• Vision
• Vestibular system - inner ear, three semi-circular canals, fluid in canals pick up movement
• Proprioceptive information

Question 4

What do we need for central processing?

Answer 4

• Intact sensory pathways to the sensory cortex for central processing
• Intact motor pathways from the motor cortex for motor initiation (basal ganglia)
• Cerebellar coordination

Question 5

What do we need for motor output?

Answer 5

• Intact motor pathways (DESCENDING) - corticospinal, vestibulospinal, tectospinal, reticulospinal, rubrospinal
• Intact peripheral motor systems - alpha motor neurone, muscles (tone, strength, power), joint range

Question 6

How to Ax Motor Output?

Answer 6

• Tone = PROM/Reflexes
• Strength = Isometric/Isotonic
• Joint = AROM/PROM

Question 7

How to Ax Sensory Input?

Answer 7

Proprioception = mirroring/joint position sense
Somatosensory = Light and deep touch, sharp and blunt, 3pt
Vestibular = rapid movement
Vision = visual fields

Question 8

How to Ax Central Processing?

Answer 8

Tone = AROM/PROM
Initiation of movement = AROM/Function
Co-ordination = Finger to nose, heel to shin, function
Smooth movement = finger to nose, heel to shin
Reactive = Function