Evaluation of postural equilibrium and fall risk during pregnancy

Inanir, Ahmet; Çakmak, Bülent; Hisim, Yeliz; Demirtürk, Fazlı

doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.01.013

Cited by 70 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…According to the literature, higher orthostatic hypotension, protuberant abdomen, decreasing ankle stiffness, pelvic joint laxity, and fatigue increase pregnant women's risk for falls (31,32). The risk of falling increases even more with the duration of pregnancy (33). In this context, advanced maternal age may be considered an independent cause of elevated fear of falling among pregnant women.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the effect of changes in muscle strength in gestational ageupon fear of falling and quality of life

Atay¹,

İ̇z²

2015

Turk J Med Sci

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The aim of this study is the investigation of the effect of changes in muscle strength in gestational age upon fear of falling and quality of life. Materials and methods:This longitudinal, descriptive study included a sample of 37 pregnant women who volunteered to participate. The research data were collected at 20 and 32 weeks of gestation. Data collection instruments included a newly developed questionnaire form, the Tinetti Falls Efficacy Scale, a visual analog scale, and the Turkish language version of the WHO Quality of Life Scale. Upper body flexibility was measured by the back scratch test, while muscle strength was measured by a handgrip dynamometer and balance by the unipedal stance test.Results: It was found that, as pregnancy advanced, pregnant women had an increased fear of falling, as well as elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. Participants suffered significant impairments in their balance, handgrip strength, and quality of life within the physical, psychological, and environmental domains. Conclusion:As pregnancy advances, muscle strength decreases and the fear of falling experienced by pregnant women increases, which significantly impairs the quality of life in the domains of environment, physical, and mental health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the effect of changes in muscle strength in gestational ageupon fear of falling and quality of life

Atay¹,

İ̇z²

2015

Turk J Med Sci

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“…The vertical projection of the center of mass within their base of support should be kept when standing to maintain balance, resulting in little medial-lateral or anterior-posterior sway (Inanir et al 2014). Conventionally, a series of balance tasks are presented that will cause an increased demand on postural stability and hence increase sway.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation between Mechanical Properties of the Ankle Muscles and Postural Sway during the Menstrual Cycle

Yim

Petrofsky²,

Lee

2018

Tohoku J. Exp. Med.

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Ankle and foot injuries are common among athletes and physically active individuals. The most common residual disability, ankle sprain, is characterized by instability along with postural sway. If the supporting structures around a joint become lax, posture stability and balance are also affected. Previous studies have examined muscle stiffness and elasticity and postural sway separately; however, the relationship between these factors is yet unknown. It is well known that the levels of sex hormones, especially estrogen, change in women over the phase of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between the mechanical properties of tissue and balance activity using a non-invasive digital palpation device to determine if they undergo any changes over the menstrual cycle in young women. Sixteen young women with regular menstrual cycles completed the study. Tone, stiffness, and elasticity of the ankle muscles (lateral gastrocnemius, peroneus longus, and tibialis anterior) were measured using a non-invasive digital palpation device. Postural sway was recorded while the participants performed balance tasks during ovulation and menstruation. Significantly greater posture sway characteristics and ankle muscle elasticity were found during ovulation than during menstruation; lower tone and stiffness of the ankle muscles were observed at ovulation (p < 0.05). Additionally, weak-to-strong relationships between ankle muscle mechanical properties and postural sway characteristics were found (p < 0.05). These results suggest the effect of estrogen on human connective tissues. We therefore postulate that estrogen increases joint and muscle laxity and affects posture stability according to the phase of the menstrual cycle.

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“…Pregnancy reduces stability significantly in the third trimester of pregnancy, which is revealed by increased path lengths and area of COP [6,43,44]. In some cases, these increases of COP and thus instability were observed in second-trimester women, but in all cases no significant changes were found in the first trimester compared to non-pregnant women [6,13,43]. Weight distribution index (WDI) scores significantly increase in the third trimester of pregnancy, which, contrasting with other evidence, suggests that the balance improves as the pregnancy develops.…”

Section: Static Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Visual cues have been extensively studied in static stability. When women are asked to keep their eyes open, stability has been shown to improve [43] and in conditions that require women to keep their eyes closed, path length of the COP is increased by pregnancy [13,45,46]. It is reported that the condition of closing eyes affected both pregnant and non-pregnant women in the same way, and it is concluded that the destabilisation is due to poor somatosensory processing rather than anatomical changes of pregnancy [45].…”

Section: Static Stabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Biomechanics of Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Conder

Zamani

Akrami

2019

JFMK

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During pregnancy, a number of biomechanical and hormonal changes occur that can alter spinal curvature, balance, and gait patterns by affecting key areas of the human body. This can greatly impact quality of life (QOL) by increasing back pain and the risk of falls. These effects are likely to be the ultimate result of a number of hormonal and biomechanical changes that occur during pregnancy. Research Question and Methodology: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this systematic review sets out to analyse all available literature relating to the biomechanics factors caused by pregnancy and assess how this might reduce QOL. Fifty papers were deemed eligible for inclusion in this review based on the PUBMED and SCOPUS databases. Results: Angles of lordosis and kyphosis of the spine are significantly increased by pregnancy, but not consistently across all studies. Back pain is significantly increased in pregnant women, although this is not significantly correlated with spinal changes. Increased movements of centre of pressure (COP) and increased stability indexes indicate postural control is reduced in pregnancy. Trunk range of motion, hip flexion, and extension are reduced, as well as decreased stride length, decreased gait velocity, and increased step width; again, not consistently. It is likely that each woman adopts unique techniques to minimise the effects, for example increasing step width to improve balance. Further research should focus on how altered limb kinematics during gait might affect QOL by influencing the human body, as well as assessing parameters in all planes to develop a wider understanding of pregnant biomechanical alterations.

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Evaluation of postural equilibrium and fall risk during pregnancy

Cited by 70 publications

References 25 publications

Investigation of the effect of changes in muscle strength in gestational ageupon fear of falling and quality of life

Investigation of the effect of changes in muscle strength in gestational ageupon fear of falling and quality of life

Correlation between Mechanical Properties of the Ankle Muscles and Postural Sway during the Menstrual Cycle

The Biomechanics of Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

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