Chapter 17 Balance Training Concepts Flashcards
Center of gravity
Approximate midpoint of the body
Location may vary between individuals,
it is typically located at the midportion of the trunk.
Base of support
The area beneath a person that consists of every point of contact made between the body and the support surface. Floor
Limits of stability
The area within which an individual can move one’s center of gravity without changing the base of support (i.e., moving the feet) without falling.
Vestibular system
mportant for maintaining balance while bending over, as well as dynamic movements, like hopping or squatting.
Somatosensory system
Somatosensation refers to the ability to feel changes in pressure on the skin, muscle length, and joint angles. Somatosensation is critically important for balancing on unstable surfaces and tasks that involve dynamic balance.
Sensorimotor function
The interaction between the way the body processes visual, vestibular, and somatosensory information with the motor response of the body to that information.
Mechanisms of balance
Visual - help determine the best foot placement to maintain balance when moving over unstable surfaces
Vestibular - important for maintaining balance while bending over, as well as dynamic movements, like hopping or squatting.
Somatosensory - important for balancing on unstable surfaces and tasks that involve dynamic balance.
Neuromuscular control
The response (conscious or unconscious) of the muscles within the body to control purposeful movement.
Perturbation
An alteration of the body’s current state caused by the application of an external force. ie -lightly pushing on a client’s shoulders as they are balancing
Progression of balance exercises
Progression 1. Exercises should initially involve little joint motion of the balance leg.
Progression 2. Exercises should involve movement of the balance leg through a full range of motion.
Progression 3. Exercises should combine hopping motions with a single-leg stance landing, and holding the balance position for 3–5 seconds.
What are the exercises included in the last progression of balance training designed to do?
Develop proper deceleration ability to move the body from a dynamic state to a controlled stationary position
The center of gravity moves in which direction when the knees and hips are equally flexed bilaterally?
???
Static Balance
The ability to maintain the center of mass within the base of support in a stationary position, meaning no linear or angular movement.
Semi-Dynamic balance
individual seeks to maintain balance within a stationary limit of stability, yet the base supporting the body is in movement (e.g., individual riding on a skateboard)
Dynamic Balance
occurs when a person seeks to maintain their center of mass over an ever-changing limit of stability; for example, the individual is running on uneven surfaces.
