MOD 10: balance

Question 1

What is the definition of balance or postural stability?

Answer 1

The dynamic process by which the body maintains its center of mass over the base of support

Equilibrium can occur under static conditions or during dynamic tasks.

Question 2

Balance is influenced by which factors?

Answer 2

• Biomechanical alignment
• Joint mobility
• Muscle performance
• Sensory processing
• Motor coordination
• Fatigue
• Pain
• Anxiety
• Confidence

Psychological factors, particularly fear of falling, can reduce perceived limits of stability.

Question 3

True or false: Balance training is simply about training someone to stand still.

Answer 3

FALSE

Balance training involves training system adaptability.

Question 4

What must be established before initiating balance intervention?

Answer 4

Baseline stability

Multiple balance tests provide information across various domains.

Question 5

What are the domains that balance tests provide information across?

Answer 5

• Steady-state
• Dynamic
• Reactive
• Anticipatory
• Sensory organization

Each test provides different information about potential balance impairment.

Question 6

What does anticipatory control refer to?

Answer 6

Feedforward activation that occurs before voluntary movement

It stabilizes the body in preparation for limb movement or load transfer.

Question 7

What is the role of the visual, somatosensory, and vestibular systems in balance?

Answer 7

They continuously interact to provide information for central processing, supporting orientation and movement control

Sensory organization refers to the nervous system’s ability to reweight these inputs.

Question 8

What is the FITT principle in balance training?

Answer 8

• Frequency: how often the system is exposed to postural challenges
• Intensity: proximity to limits of stability or perturbation magnitude
• Time: duration of sustained control or cumulative exposure
• Type: whether the intervention targets steady-state, anticipatory, reactive, or sensory organization demands

This principle helps structure balance training effectively.

Question 9

What is dynamic balance?

Answer 9

Maintaining equilibrium during movement and variable environmental demands

It requires both anticipatory and reactive control.

Question 10

What is the goal of functional integration in balance training?

Answer 10

To ensure improvements in isolated balance tasks transfer to meaningful activities

Functional tasks may include carrying objects, turning quickly, or navigating obstacles.

Question 11

What does reactive control involve?

Answer 11

Response to unexpected perturbations

Strategies include ankle, hip, and stepping strategies based on the magnitude of disturbance.

Question 12

What is the importance of attentional focus in balance training?

Answer 12

It influences performance; external focus promotes automatic control, while internal focus may slow responses

Instructional language matters as it affects sensory and motor information processing.

Question 13

What is the primary stabilizing role during steady-state balance control?

Answer 13

Ankle musculature

Quiet standing can be conceptualized as an inverted pendulum.

Question 14

What should balance training include to ensure safety?

Answer 14

• Appropriate guarding strategies
• Clear environment

Safety is crucial while challenging the system.

Question 15

What is the significance of motor learning principles in balance training?

Answer 15

They help determine how progression should occur across stages of learning

This supports logical progression toward functional performance.

Question 16

What is sensory organization training?

Answer 16

Challenges reliance on different sensory systems

It involves manipulating visual, somatosensory, and vestibular inputs.