A goal leading to improving motion analysis and therapy

Falls affect all age groups, but people over the age of 65 are particularly at risk, as they have the highest rate of bone fractures. Most of the fractures in the older age group (about 90%) are caused by falls. The resulting complications can be life-threatening for this age group. Falls are also significantly affected by the functioning of the neuromuscular system. 

The background of falls has been investigated by many studies, which have concluded that falls should be thought of as multifactorial events. From a biomechanical point of view, a fall can be characterized as a disruption of dynamic balance and the inadequacy of its restoration. From now on, an important role can be attributed to the nature of the fall and the activation of the defence mechanisms. Due to the variability of fall characteristics (environmental and personal) and consequences, the methods used to estimate fall risk are also broad and varied. 

In addition to locomotor status, perceptual ability, the individual’s coordination level and existing illnesses are also important. Of the latter, a significant risk factor is, for example, osteoporosis and high or fluctuating blood pressure. Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease accompanied by a decrease in bone mass and damage to the microstructure. Bone fractures resulting from the progression of the disease are estimated to account for nearly 9 million cases worldwide each year. Not only bone density has a direct role in the occurrence of fractures, although it is also important to know the structural resilience of bones, which is based on the results of bone density tests.  In addition to medication, the complications of osteoporosis should be reduced by education and muscle-strengthening and balance-enhancing exercises. The goal is to teach you how to assess the level of balance that affects falls in the elderly. Another goal is to estimate the risk of falling using a multi-factor assessment method.