Balance and postural control are fundamental components of functional independence and quality of life in adults. Deficits in trunk stability and balance are strongly associated with increased fall risk, impaired mobility, and decreased ability to perform activities of daily living in sedentary individuals and clinical populations. Trunk muscles play a key role in stabilizing the spine and coordinating movement; their activation is essential for maintaining balance during static and dynamic tasks. Evidence suggests that targeted trunk training can significantly improve postural control and functional outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
58
Participants will be instructed to hold standardized handheld weight (adjusted according to individual tolerance) with both hands at chest level throughout the task to provide an additional upper-body strength component and increase trunk muscle engagement. During training, visual stimuli will be presented on a monitor positioned at eye level at approximately 1.5 m. Four geometric symbols (square, triangle, circle, and star) will be randomly displayed on the screen, each corresponding to a specific trunk movement direction.
Participants will perform the same balance, strength, and cognitive components separately to eliminate task integration effects.
Faculty of physical therapy, Cairo University
Giza, Egypt
RECRUITINGTime Up and Go test
Time Up and Go test will be used to evaluate dynamic balance. Participants will be asked to rise from a chair, walk 3 m to the line on the floor at a normal pace, turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down. The time will be calculated using stopwatch. The greater the time spent to complete the test the greater the risk of impaired balance. While less time reflects good balance and mobility.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Single leg stance test
Single leg stance test will be used to assess static balance performance. Participants will be asked to stand on the dominant leg for as long as possible with their eyes closed and arms on the hips. Three measurements will be performed from the time the foot left the floor until it touches the ground. The mean of all three measurements will be used for analysis. Greater time indicated good static balance and less time indicates low static balance.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Trunk muscle activity
The Delsys electromyography (EMG) system will be used to record muscle activity at the sampling rate of 2000 Hz. Eight EMG sensors will be placed on the torso of the participant to determine muscle activation. Electrodes will then be fixed to the skin using specially designed adhesive interfaces. Following EMG placement, maximum voluntary contraction will be performed to determine the maximum muscle activation level for each muscle.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Visual-Motor integration
Participants will be instructed to stand upright facing a monitor at eye level and respond to four randomly presented visual symbols. The following visual-motor performance variables will be calculated; the reaction time which is the time interval between stimulus onset and the initiation of trunk movement. Also, response accuracy (%) will be determined by dividing the number of correct responses by the total number of presented stimuli and multiplying by 100.
Time frame: 4 weeks
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