Abstract
Introduction:
Maintaining good postural stability is considered important to prevent falls in the elderly. We evaluated factors associated with good postural stability.
Methods:
We evaluated 33 patients (6 males and 27 females) over 65 years old. The average age was 76.1 years old ranging 65 to 85. We measured Index of Postural Stability(IPS) using gravicoder GW-5000 manufactured by ANIMA. The IPS was advocated by Mochizuki in 2000. It was defined following this equation; IPS=log[(area of stability limit + area of postural sway)/area of postural sway). Larger IPS means better postural stability. The average IPS in each age was already known. IPS was calculated automatically through gravicoda. We divided these patients into two groups by the results of IPS. Group A with the patients whose IPS was larger, Group B with the patients whose IPS was smaller than the average in their age. We compared the following items between the two groups. Functional performance (gait speed, two-step test, one-leg standing test, five-repetition sit-to-stand test, grip strength), body composition (height, weight, BMI, limb circumference, skeletal muscle mass ), spino-pelvic parameters (Pelvic Incidence(PI), Lumbar Lordosis(LL), Pelvic Tilt(PT), Sagittal Vertical Axis (SVA)) using whole spine x-ray photograph.
Results:
Thirteen patients were classified into Group A and 20 patients were into Group B. Gait speed, two-step test, five-repetition sit-to-stand test, one-leg standing test, SVA were significantly different between the two groups. SVA was 6.39±31.0mm in Group A and 50.6±27.5 mm in Group B. SVA of less than 50 mm is known to be an important indicator of good posture.
Conclusion:
The results showed that SVA is related to postural stability as well as gait and balance ability. This suggests that good posture is likely one of the keys to fall prevention.
Comments
Question
Hello and thank you for presenting your work. As you have shown that good posture is related to decreased falls risk, how what you use that information to help reduce falls risk?
Question
Thank you very much for your question, Dr McRae.
In this study. We have not yet been able to study the relationship between IPS, SVA and falls risk, because we have not been able to follow up for a sufficient period. I will do it in further studies.
However, Once the spinopelvic alignment deteriorates, it is difficult to recover from it, so I am focusing on the possibility of preventing it before it worsens.
As I mentioned in my presentation, I believe that exercises including core muscle training and education for maintaining good posture, are important from the younger age, before postural changes occur.
I would like to challenge this issue in my further practice and hope to present the results of my work here again.
How would you try to correct posture in later life?
Ballroom dancing? Adult ballet?
How would you try to correct posture in later life?
Hello, Dr Ong. Thank you for your question,
It was you who gave me the question through the Internet. Actually, I answered your question without fully understanding it, and I am sorry that my answer was very rambling.
To answer your question, I believe that it is actually very difficult to restore posture once it has changed, however, I do feel that multicomponent exercise is very important to improve ADL in the elderly people.
As you know, multicomponent exercise consists of aerobic, muscle strengthening, and balance training.
I think core muscle exercise is especially important as one of muscle strengthening exercise.
As you mentioned, Ballroom Dancing and Adult Ballet are also very effective balance exercises to maintain the axis of the body.
I would like to examine the exercises to maintain good spinopelvic alignment in my further study.
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