Balance disorders may be resistant to therapy and significantly limit the outcome of rehabilitation. Various therapies have been used to treat balance deficiencies including whole body vibration. Studies using low frequency translating platforms have shown that subjects can select strategies to improve stability as frequency increases. The objective of this pilot study was to identify patterns-of-motion that tend to improve stability and to begin to examine the effects of repeated exposure. Our preliminary findings show two new patterns not previously reported that improve balance by stabilizing the head and upper body. Sway motion tends to decline with repeated exposure suggesting strategies can be learned, a positive training effect.
postural control, balance, falls, whole-body-vibration, moving platform
W. Thomas Edwards, Ph.D.
Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation
1199 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange , New Jersey 07052
Phone: 973-324-3539
This should be in the right column.