Article

Previous studies have suggested that arm movements can contribute to preventing
the loss of balance or falls, and that aging affects the functions of arm
movements. Clinical balance and mobility tests may be able to detect such aging
effects. As the first step to approaching this question, the purpose of this
pilot study was to investigate the effects of arm movements on the performance of
clinical balance and mobility tests. Ten participants were evaluated in four
clinical tests: (1) Maximal Step Length Test (MST), (2) Step Test (ST), (3) Timed
Up and Go Test (TUG), and (4) Walk along an Elliptical Line (WEL). Each test was
performed with free and limited arm movement and the outcomes were compared.
Statistical analysis indicated a significant improvement in test performance when
arms were used freely for three out of four tests (MST, ST and TUG), with
inconclusive results on WEL. This pilot study showed improved performance on the
clinical balance and mobility tests, suggesting that the contribution of arm
movements is sufficiently large to be detected. This implies a feasibility for
novel usage of clinical balance and mobility tests, i.e., to test the
effectiveness of arm usage in balance and mobility.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Langue : ANGLAIS