Falls and fear of falling predict future falls and related injuries in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury: a longitudinal observational study

Abstract

Ambulatory individuals have a high risk of falling and of fall-related injuries. Fall history, fear of falling and walking speed could predict recurrent falls and injurious falls. Further studies with larger samples are needed to validate these findings. [Jørgensen V, Butler Forslund E, Opheim A, Franzén E, Wahman K, Hultling C, Seiger Å, Ståhle A, Stanghelle JK, Roaldsen KS (2017) Falls and fear of falling predict future falls and related injuries in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury: a longitudinal observational study. Journal of Physiotherapy 63: 108-113].

Walking Stability During Normal Walking and Its Association with Slip Intensity Among Individuals with Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

“…Clinically, the assessment of balance control to identify individuals at risk of falls should be more comprehensive than merely evaluating stability during normal walking. Our findings demonstrate that individuals with iSCI are more stable while walking; once their balance is perturbed, however, their ability to maintain balance depends on how effectively they react to the perturbation . Future studies should also examine reactive balance of individuals with iSCI during walking to understand why they fall so often.…”

“…Individuals with iSCI experience frequent falls, with a majority of outdoor falls occurring while walking on an uneven or slippery surface . The potential high risk of injury from these types of falls warrants a deeper understanding of walking balance strategies used by these individuals.…”

“…Damage to the spinal cord can disrupt sensorimotor and/or reflexive pathways, leading to motor and sensory impairments that contribute to diminished balance control and a high incidence of falls reported by individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). Approximately 75% of these individuals report at least one fall per year and 48% report recurrent falls . The consequences of falls can vary from minor injuries to severe complications requiring re‐hospitalization and reduced community participation The high incidence and severity of falls warrant interventions that could improve balance control in people with iSCI.…”

Fear of falling among Brazilian and Portuguese older adults

“…In the present study, Portuguese older adults who fell less than a year before the study were far more afraid of falling. A recent history of a fall (<1 year ago) has been a strong predictor of the FOF over time among Norwegian older adults in outpatient rehabilitation settings (Jørgensen et al, ) and American community‐dwelling older adults (Dierking, Markides, Al Snih, & Kristen Peek, ). Corroborative cross‐sectional evidence exists among community‐dwelling older Brazilians and Serbians residing in long‐term care settings (Kocic et al, ; Utida, Budib, & Batiston, ).…”

Problematizando quedas em idosos: estrutura conceitual à organização de programas de exercícios físicos

“…Quedas também atingem psicologicamente a pessoa idosa, uma vez que após o incidente sua confiança no equilíbrio tende a diminuir 12 , aumentando seu medo de cair novamente. 13 Além do mais, com a mobilidade restringida, o idoso se auto exclui socialmente 3 , o que, em certos casos, pode gerar a depressão. 14 Outro ponto incluso ao tema quedas consiste em seu impacto sobre os custos dos sistemas de saúde pública e privado.…”