The Impact of a Vestibular-Stimulating Exercise Regime on Postural Stability in People with Visual Impairment

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a vestibular-stimulating exercise regime on postural stability in individuals with visual impairment. The study group consisted of 70 people, including 28 persons (15 female and 13 male) with visual impairment and 42 (21 female and 21 male) without visual impairment. Each individual in the group with visual impairment was medically qualified for a 3-month training program. The research methodology included medical examination, anthropometric tests, and stabilometry tests on a Biodex Balance System SD (BBS). The tests were conducted twice: once before the start of training and again after 3 months of rehabilitation. The group with visual impairment showed significantly worse postural stability results than the control group for most of the stability parameters evaluated (OSI, APSI, and MLSI). Differences were noted between the groups with and without visual impairment for dynamic tests in women and for static tests in men. After training, the two groups showed roughly similar results for the stabilometry test with eyes closed. We conclude that exercises stimulating the vestibular system with head and body movements should be recommended for individuals with visual impairments to achieve better balance retention.

Effect of Selected Vestibular Exercises on Postural Stability in Elderly Women with Type 2 Diabetes

“…There was significant increase in the postural stability followed by practicing vestibular exercises. Postural stability is common in elderly due to loss of the integration between the sensory systems [14]. Instability of gait is commonly observed in diabetes as a result of the retinopathy and neuropathy [15].…”

Types of falls and strategies for maintaining stability on an unstable surface

“…Furthermore, the attempts were made to determine the parameters that allowed for finding the strategies used during standing on an unstable ground. In the past, several systems [11][12][13] were used for assessing postural control. These devices typically used force plates to determine the displacements of the center of pressure (CoP).…”

Evaluation of Postural Stability in Young and Elderly Women

“…The main factors responsible for this are as follows: decreases in muscle mass and strength, which are caused by changes in the nervous system and muscles themselves due to decreased participation in physical activity [6,18,30]. Such factors as vision, vestibular, loss of peripheral sensation, and decrease in reaction time were noted too [21,37].…”