Balance disorders are a common impairment of some of the pathologies with the highest incidence and prevalence rates. Conventional physical therapy treatment focuses on the rehabilitation of balance skills in order to enhance patients’ self-dependency. In the last years, some studies have reported the clinical benefits of virtual reality systems in the balance recovery. The force platform Wii B...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the specific effects of balance and gait exercises among frail elderly individuals. DESIGN A randomized three-group parallel controlled study. SETTING Geriatric health services facility in Japan. SUBJECTS Thirty-four frail elderly subjects attending the care facility were randomized into a control group, an exercise group with emphasis on balance or an exercise group...

OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of a simple exercise program on the balance and strength of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. METHODS This program was based on low intensity strength and balance exercises, and was carried out with simple, readily available equipment. Sixty five women were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (EG; n=33, age: 57.4±4.8 years) or the contro...

Background: Parkinson's disease as a progressive disorder of the nervous system leads to the disability of postural control system. Objectives: In the present study the effects of Pilates exercises on functional balance in patients with Parkinson's was investigated. Materials and Methods: This control trial included 30 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who were selected as subj...

A new balance rehabilitation and training apparatus has been developed to allow a balance-impaired person to cope with his or her fear of falling while safely and independently performing exercises necessary to improve functional balance. The apparatus consists of a stable platform where the user stands and a vertical structure that supports free-floating handles that the user holds with both h...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of ankle exercises on balance ability when using shoe height insoles. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty adults in their 20s, who were students, were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group (n=15/group). Individuals in the experimental group wore height-adjustable silicon insoles measuring 3, 5, and 7 cm three tim...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the Power Spectrum Density (PSD) of the electroencephalography (EEG) in common sensorimotor balance training tasks of varying difficulty. Sensorimotor balance exercises including alteration of vision, base of support or surface compliance are used to improve postural control. These exercises are presumed to induce supraspina...