EFFECT OF VIRTUAL REALITY BASED EXERCISE REGIME ON POSTURAL STABILITY AND GAIT DYNAMICS

Overview

People worldwide are living longer. Today, for the first time in history, most people can expect to live into their sixties and beyond. By 2050, the world's population aged 60 years and older is expected to total 2 billion, up from 900 million in 2015. Today, 125 million people are aged 80 years or older. By 2050, there will be almost this many (120 million) living in China alone, and 434 million people in this age group worldwide. By 2050, 80% of all older people will live in low- and middle-income countries. As we age, we lose balance function through loss of sensory elements, the ability to integrate information and issue motor commands, and because we lose musculoskeletal function. Diseases common in aging populations lead to further deterioration in balance function in some patients. study aims to determine the Effect of Virtual Reality exercise regimen on postural stability and gait dynamics in elderly population. By obtaining these results we can recommend and effective balance training regime which can be implemented in health care system and hence resulting in decrease fall events in geriatric population and also reduce fall related health care financial burden on economy.

Elderly population presenting in Emergency Room are responsible for increased consumption of health care resources but they are easily identifiable population who have high risk of fall. Older people have the highest risk of death or serious injury arising from a fall and the risk increases with age. For example, in the United States of America, 20-30% of older people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip fractures, or head trauma. This risk level may be in part due to physical, sensory, and cognitive changes associated with ageing, in combination with environments that are not adapted for an ageing population. Falls and falls risks can be reduced through systematic risk identification and targeted intervention, including a combination of clinical and community-based interventions. Multiple evidence-based community programs have been shown to reduce falls and/or falls risk factors. Using the gaming with the biofeedback system, such as the virtual reality (VR) system, is widely used for rehabilitation. It is due to the fact that the VR system can make the treatment more interesting, reduce the difficulty of rehabilitation, and increase safety In this study participants will be divided in 2 groups. 1 group will recieve Virtual reality Training and other group will Recieve Aerobic Training. Treatment will be given 3 times a week for 6 weeks by researcher with each session lasting 30-50 Minutes. Assessment of postural stability and other outcome measures will be done after every two weeks till Terminal assessment after 6 weeks of treatment by same Physical Therapist who did initial Assessment. In addition, assessment gait parameters will be done at baseline and at end of trial.