The effects of short term balance training on the postural control of older adults

The purpose of this study was to determine and contrast the effect of five weeks of balance training on the postural stability of elderly adults with a history of falls (F) and those who have not previously fallen (NF). Twelve F subjects, 12 NF subjects, and 14 control subjects participated. Balance training consisted of exercises designed to stress balance and coordination performed three times per week for five weeks. Postural stability was evaluated with an ADL test resembling activities of daily living and force-platform-based postural sway measurements. In general F and NF reflected similar improvements in postural stability following training. F and NF demonstrated small improvements (5-10%) on the ADL tests with respect to the control group. The postural sway measures provided only moderate support for the effectiveness of training, with the control subjects exhibiting improvements similar to those of the training groups (approximately 15-30%). Overall the data provide moderate support for the effectiveness of short term balance training for functionally independent elderly adults. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.