Effects of physiotherapy on balance and unilateral vestibular hypofunction in vertiginous elderly

BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyze the effect of a physical therapy protocol on unilateral vestibular hypofunction and overall balance in elderly with vertigo. METHODS: The study included nine subjects, four male subjects (68.5 ± 11.09 years old) and five females (72.4 ± 7.09 years old). It was used th...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Rocha Júnior, Paulo Roberto, da Silva Peres, Amanda, Garbi, Fernando Pereira, Frizzo, Ana CF, Valenti, Vitor E
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BioMed Central 2014
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3938970/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24576350
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1755-7682-7-8
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyze the effect of a physical therapy protocol on unilateral vestibular hypofunction and overall balance in elderly with vertigo. METHODS: The study included nine subjects, four male subjects (68.5 ± 11.09 years old) and five females (72.4 ± 7.09 years old). It was used the performance-oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), to evaluate the balance and the Unterberger – Fukuda test for analysis of unilateral vestibular dysfunction through rotations and displacements of the body. We developed and applied a structured physical therapy protocol, consisting of group exercises. RESULTS: It was observed that after the protocol, all participants improved balance (33.9 ± 5.1 vs. 47.3 ± 7.6, p < 0.0001) and displacement (111.1 ± 38.0 vs. 53.3 ± 34.6, p = 0.0001). However, it was not found significant differences for rotation. CONCLUSION: The proposed protocol has contributed to an improvement in balance and vestibular dysfunction of the aged.