Head and pelvic movements during a dynamic reaching task in sitting: Implications for physical therapists

• Published in: Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation Vol. 82; no. 12; pp. 1655 - 1660
• Main Authors: Campbell, Fiona M., Ashburn, Ann M., Pickering, Ruth M., Burnett, Malcolm
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-12-2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aging; Analysis of Variance; Balance; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Diseases of the osteoarticular system. Orthopedic treatment; Female; Head; Hemiplegia; Hemiplegia - rehabilitation; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Movement; Pelvic Bones; Physical Therapy Modalities; Postural Balance; Posture; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Range of Motion, Articular; Rehabilitation; Statistics, Nonparametric; Aging; Hemiplegia; Range of motion, articular; Rehabilitation; Balance; Posture; Human; Motion; Nervous system diseases; Motor system disorder; Seated position; Exploration; Neurological disorder; Physical rehabilitation
• ISSN: 0003-9993; 1532-821X
• DOI: 10.1053/apmr.2001.26818

Campbell FM, Ashburn AM, Pickering RM, Burnett M. Head and pelvic movements during a dynamic reaching task in sitting: implications for physical therapists. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:1655-60. Objectives: To describe the distance reached, speed, and movement of the head and pelvis of healthy volunteers; to describe any influence of age on these variables; and to compare healthy volunteers and subjects with hemiplegia while performing a seated reaching task. Design: Age-matched, case-control study. Setting: Gait laboratory in a general hospital. Participants: A convenience sample of 53 healthy volunteers (30 women; 23 men; mean age, 57yr; range, 30–79yr) and 5 subjects with hemiplegia (2 women, 3 men; mean age, 65yr; range, 60–78yr) were recruited within 6 weeks poststroke. Interventions: Participants sat on a bench with feet supported and reached laterally as far as they could without falling. Main Outcome Measures: The speed, distance reached, and angular movements of the head and pelvis were recorded by using the 3-dimensional movement analysis system. Results: A significant age-related reduction in the distance reached (p < .001), velocity of the movement (p = .000), and pelvic tilt used (p < .01) was found among healthy volunteers. Comparison of data from healthy volunteers and subjects with hemiplegia showed a significant reduction in the angular movements of the heads of subjects with hemiplegia. Conclusions: The findings suggest conservation of movement with increasing age and stroke. This movement reduction could have negative effects on a subject's ability to make postural changes in response to disturbance and activity. Such information may assist therapists to gain insight into the nature of balance deficits and the adaptive behavior that could result. © 2001 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation