Balance Evaluation and Treatment Flashcards
what is postural control and how do we achieve postural control?
Postural control is controlling body position in space to maintain dynamic Stability (COM within BOS) and orientation (relationship between segments and between body and
environment)
We achieve these goals by:
- using and integrating sensory info
- generating forces to control the body’s position.
what is COM?
center of the total body’s mass (weighted average of each segment)
what is BOS?
area of object in contact with the supporting surface
what is COG?
vertical projection of the COM
What is balance?
ability to maintain projected COM within the limits
of BOS
what systems are involved in postural control?
musculoskeletal system
eye-head coordination
adaptive mechanisms
anticipatory mechanisms
sensory strategies
sensory systems
neuromuscular synergies
what is needed for balance?
- ROM - especially at the
ankles. - Tone/strength in muscles
- Postural tone- antigravity
muscles - Postural Alignment - allows
the body to be in equilibrium
with the least amount of
what are neuromuscular ankle strategies? when do we use them?
-ankle strategies mainly with smaller perturbations
- for normal stance on flat or slightly uneven surfaces
-Backward motion of the surface induces
forward sway and muscle response
Gastrosoleus –> Hamstrings –> Paraspinals
- Forward motion of the surface induces
backward sway and muscle response
Tib Anterior –> Quadriceps –> Abdominals
what are neuromuscular hip strategies?
when do we use them?
- for narrow/ small/ very unstable/moving surfaces, inclines
- for larger backward pertubations –> response: Paraspinals –> Hamstrings
- Brings hips forward to counteract change in COG
- Larger Induced Forward sway–> response: Abdominals–> Quadriceps
- Brings hips backward to counteract change in COG
what are other neuromuscular strategies besides ankle and hip?
- Stepping Strategy occurs when the COM moves outside the BOS with very strong perturbation
- Mediolateral control occurs in the hip and in the trunk primarily (adduction of one leg and abduction of the other). Main muscles include gluteus Med and TFL.
what are adaptive mechanisms with regard to balance strategies?
- The boundaries of the strategies
are dynamic; boundaries can shrink following
habituation.
what is nystagmus
Eyes move in a slow phase to the side with a
rapid return to midline with a regular beat.
what is an abnormal saccade
inability of the eyes to maintain focus
with the head moving
what is diplopia
Double vision
what is the visual sensory system?
Info about position of the head and motion,
verticality.
Problems arise when an individual can not distinguish between self-motion and environment motion