Use of a cane for recovery from backward balance loss during treadmill walking.
OBJECTIVE
To study whether a cane improved balance recovery after perturbation during walking.


METHODS
This study was a crossover comparison comparing the effect of walking with and without a cane for balance recovery after perturbation during treadmill walking. Five normal young volunteers participated. The velocity and acceleration of a marker sited on the seventh cerebral vertebra (C7) and vertical hand motion were measured by a motion analysis system.


RESULTS
When using a cane, C7 backward velocity increased by approximately 15% (413 SD 95 mm/s with cane vs. 358 SD 88 mm/s without). In addition, C7 backward acceleration increased by approximately 23% (3.2 SD 0.7 m/s(2) with cane vs. 2.6 SD 0.8 m/s(2) without) and the vertical motion of the right hand decreased (187 SD 98 mm with cane vs. 372 SD 260 mm without). Additionally, no subject was able to use a cane to broaden their base of support.


CONCLUSIONS
The ability to limit trunk extension is crucial for preventing falls. Therefore, using a cane jeopardizes recovery from backward balance loss. The results encourage further research on the risk of a cane on balance recovery for the elderly population and habitual cane users.
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan. hyodo223@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp
Masaki
M
Hyodo
Mayumi
M
Saito
Junichi
J
Ushiba
Yutaka
Y
Tomita
Yoshihisa
Y
Masakado
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002183:Canes; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult