Effects of physiotherapy including various forms of gait exercises on a treadmill on functional efficiency in the elderly at risk of falling

• Authors: Bartosz Wnuk , Marek Walusiak , Jacek Durmała , Maria Kadyjewska , Ewelina Żak
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of physiotherapy consisting of various forms of gait training on a treadmill in elderly patients with reduced physical fitness and with balance disorders. The examination group consisted of 9 men and 21 women aged 60-80 years and they were randomly divided into two groups (control and test). The gait exercises on a treadmill were based on walking forward in the control group and on walking backward in the test group. The following tests were employed for the purpose of the research: Tinetti test, Functional Reach Test, Get Up and Go Test. The strength of quadriceps muscles of the knee joints was examined as well. The research results show that backward walking on the treadmill significantly influences balance and physical fitness in elderly people and it may be an effective way of improving balance in the elderly.

PL

Celem pracy jest ocena skuteczności fizjoterapii rozszerzonej o różne formy treningu marszowego na bieżni u osób starszych z obniżoną sprawnością fizyczną i zaburzeniami równowagi w przebiegu osteoporozy. Badaniem objęto 9 mężczyzn i 21 kobiet w wieku 60-80 lat. Pacjentów podzielono losowo na dwie równe grupy (kontrolną i badawczą). W grupie kontrolnej zastosowano trening chodu do przodu na bieżni ruchomej, a w grupie badawczej trening chodu do tyłu. Jako narzędzie badawcze wykorzystano testy funkcjonalne, m.in.: Tinetti, Functional Reach Test, Get Up and Go oraz badanie momentu siły mięśni czworogłowych stawów kolanowych. Wyniki badań wskazują, że trening chodu do tyłu na bieżni ruchomej w istotny sposób wpływa na poprawę sprawności fizycznej osób starszych i może być specyficzną i skuteczną formą kształtowania ich równowagi ciała.

Keywords

EN

body balance; walking; backward gait

PL

równowaga; trening marszowy; chód tyłem

• Publisher: Versita
• Journal: Physiotherapy
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 3-9

Dates

published

1 - 4 - 2010

online

25 - 11 - 2010

Contributors

author

Bartosz Wnuk

• The Chair of Rehabilitation, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice

author

Marek Walusiak

• The Chair of Rehabilitation, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice

author

Jacek Durmała

• The Chair of Rehabilitation, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice

author

Maria Kadyjewska

• The Chair of Rehabilitation, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice

author

Ewelina Żak

• The Chair of Rehabilitation, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice

References

• Błaszczyk J. W. Biomechanika kliniczna. Wyd. Lekarskie PZWL. Warszawa 2004, 192-232.
• Bompa T. Teoria i metodyka treningu. Resortowe centrum metodyczno-szkoleniowe kultury fizycznej i sportu. Warszawa 1990, 11-12.
• Mętel S. i wsp. Wpływ treningu fizycznego wykonywanego na powierzchniach niestabilnych z wykorzystaniem elastycznych taśm do ćwiczeń oporowych na sprawność funkcjonalną oraz jakość życia osób starszych. Rehabilitacja Medyczna, 2006, 10, 3, 35-46.
• Żak M. i wsp. Rehabilitacja jako element programu zapobiegania upadkom osób starszych. Przegląd Lekarski, 2002, 59, 4-5.
• Vilensky J. A kinematic comparison of backward and forward walking in humans. J. Hum. Mov. Stud., 1984, 13, 29-50.
• Winter D. Backward walking: a simple reversal of forward walking. Journal of Motor Behavior, 1989, 21, 3, 291-305.
• Nadeau S. Head and trunk stabilization strategies during forward and backward walking in healthy adults. Gait and Posture, 2003, 18, 3, 134-142.[PubMed]
• Wnuk B. Zastosowanie chodu do tyłu w fizjoterapii. Fizjoterapia, 2006, 14, 3, 64-67.
• Masumoto K., Takasugi S., Hotta N., Fujishima K., Iwamoto Y. A comparison of muscle activity and heart rate response during backward and forward walking on an underwater treadmill. Gait and Posture 2006 May.[PubMed]
• De Vita P., Stribling J. Lower extremity joint kinetics and energetics during backward running. Med-Sci-Sports-Exerc., 1991, 23, 5, 602-610.
• Tinetti M. E. et al. Risk factors falls among elderly persons living in the Community. The new England Journal of Medicine, 1988, 319, 1701-1707.
• Tinetti M. E. et al. Fall risk Index for Eldery Patients Based on Number of Chronic Disabilities. Journal of the American Medical, 1986, 80, 429-434.
• Duncan P. W. et al. Functional reach: a new clinical measure of balance. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 1990, 45, 6, M192-M197.
• Mathias N. Balance in elderly patients: the "get-up and go" test. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 1986, 67, 387-389.
• Richardson S. et al. The timed "Up and Go" Test: a test of basic functional mobility for frail elderly persons. Journal of American Geriatric Society, 1991, 39, 142-148.
• Carter N. D. et al. Knee extension strength is a significiant determinant of static and dynamic balance as well as quality of life in older community- dwelling women with osteoporosis. Gerontology, 2002, 48, 6, 360-368.[Crossref]
• Takata Y. et al. Physical Fitness and 4-Year Mortality in an 80-Year-Old population. Gerontology, 2007, 8, 851-858.
• Cider A., Tygesson H., Hedberg M. et al. Peripheral muscle training in patients with clinical signs of heart failure. Journal Scandinavian of Rehabilitation Medicines, 1997, 29, 121-127.
• Harrington D., Anker S. D., Chua T. P. et al. Skeletal muscle function and its relation to exercise tolerance in chronic heart failure. Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
• Błaszczak E. i wsp. Pomiar siły mięśni stawu kolanowego metodą tensometryczną. Ann. Acad. Med. Siles., 2006, 60, 6, 529-533.
• Thorstensson A. How is the normal locomotor program modified to produce backward walking? Experimental Brain Research, 1986, 61, 3, 664-668.
• Laufer Y. Age and gender related changes in the temporal-spatial characteristics of forwards and backwards gaits. Physiotherapy-Research-International, 2003, 8, 3, 131-142.[PubMed]
• Yea-Ru Yang Gait outcomes after additional backward walking training in patients with stroke: a randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 2005, 19, 264-273.
• Duysens J. Backward and forward walking use different patterns of phase-dependent modulation of cutaneous reflexes in humans. Journal of Neurophysiology, 1996, 76, 301-310.
• Eisner W. Electromyographic timing analysis of forward and backward cycling. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, 1999, 31, 3, 449-455.[PubMed]

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10109-010-0053-4