Objective: Balance control and motor assessments are not a routine procedure in children with hearing impairment. This study compared static and dynamic balance of school children with and without hearing impairment. Materials and Methods: This two-group study involved 160 school children, i.e., 80 hearing impaired having stimulus intensity values of 30 dB or greater and 80 control, aged between 8 and 17 years. One leg stance test and functional reach test were used to assess static and dynamic balance, respectively. Data were summarized using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Alpha level was set at 0.05. Results: Both eyes closed, and eyes opened static balances were significantly lower among hearing impaired than the normal hearing subjects. Dynamic balance was higher among the hearing impaired, but was not statistically significant. There was no significant correlation between eyes closed and eyes opened static balance among the hearing impaired and the normal hearing subjects, respectively. No significant correlation was found between dynamic and static balance among the hearing impaired and normal hearing subjects, respectively. Conclusion: Children with hearing impairment perform poorly on static balance tests compared with their normal-hearing subjects, while dynamic balance was comparable between both groups of subjects. Balance training program is recommended for children with hearing impairment who present movement and stability deficits.
Introduction Falls are major public health concern and the leading cause of non-fatal injuries among community-dwelling older adults. Though exercise has been identified as a single intervention, and potentially most cost-effective for fall prevention, the role of physical activity is less clear. This study was aimed at finding the association between physical activity, risk of fall and fear of fall in the elderly. Methods Three hundred and ten apparently healthy community dwelling elderly (202 females and 118 males) aged 60 years and above participated in this study. Physical activity was assessed with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, Fear of fall with Fall Efficacy Scale while Risk of fall was determined with Morse fall scale. Chi-square test was used to find the association between physical activity and risk of fall. Results Most participants 241(77.7%) had normal physical activity and only 3.5% had high physical activity. There was a significant association among physical activity and risk of fall in the elderly. Fifteen (4.8%) participants had a high risk of fall. All participants had no fear of falling. Discussion This study showed physical activity level increased with age until a certain age during which it starts to spiral down. A significant association was found in between age groups and level of Physical Activity. Most of the participants in this study had normal physical activity in line with previous opinion that participants over 60 years spend more time engaging in more overall physical activity. Elderly females were found to be more active than men. Conclusion There is a significant association between among physical activity and risk of fall in the elderly. Hence, the more physically active elderly are, the less their likelihood to a fall.
Background Degenerative arthropathies (DA) are pathological changes in joints mainly due to wear and tear. These often affect weight bearing joints and are commoner in the elderly (American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation AAPMR, 2019). More than 50% of adults above 65 years suffer from DA (AAPMR, 2019) with a large number presenting with combination of lumbar spondylosis (LS) and knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Physiotherapists in Nigeria use various management approaches which results in variable efficacy; standardised protocols are rarely used. Objectives This study was aimed at evaluating knowledge and rehabilitation approaches of Physiotherapists (PTs) working at a Geriatric Centre in Nigeria in managing LS and KOA. Method A focused group discussion (FGD) was carried out among the ten Physiotherapists working at the geriatric center of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria using a questionnaire specifically designed for the purpose. Results All PTs had basic qualifications; four had postgraduate degrees in Physiotherapy. Five Physiotherapists had worked for at least two and half years at the center, while the work experience of the remaining five ranged between two and eleven weeks. Each PT demonstrated adequate knowledge of DA. They used combination of techniques to improve functional outcomes. Each PT listed precautions in management of DA but the more experienced PTs (≥ 2.5 years) were more specific. They all opined that standards operating protocols (SOPs) that allows for flexibility would enhance management but none is presently in use. Better efficacy was reported when rehabilitation is combined with medications such as chondroitin sulphate, diclofenac sodium, and potassium chloride. Continuous rehabilitation with reducing frequency as symptoms subsided was unanimously advocated. Conclusion Techniques employed by Physiotherapists in rehabilitation of DA though evidence-based, vary depending on individual preferences and experience. Standardised, culture-specific protocols to enhance uniformity of care should be developed. Reference 1. American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR) 2019: Degenerative Joint Disease. https://www.aapmr.org/about-physiatry/ assessed on 29/07/2019; 10.30pm.
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