The Role Of Physical Therapists In Promoting Balance And Fall Prevention In Older Adults

Abstract

Choosing between water or land-based physical therapy activities to enhance balance, gait, quality of life, and minimize fall-related consequences in older individuals living in the community remains a debatable therapeutic choice for physiotherapists. Evaluate the efficacy of randomized or quasi-randomized controlled studies that used aquatic physical therapy exercises to enhance balance, gait, quality of life, and mitigate fall-related consequences in individuals with chronic degenerative osteoarthritis (CDOAs). The articles were examined in the databases MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, LILACS, Web of Science, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), PEDro, CINAHL, SciELO, and Google Scholar. The studies exhibited low-quality findings for balance, gait, quality of life, and fear of falling. The results evaluated showed that both land-based and aquatic physical therapy exercises had a positive impact. However, aquatic physical therapy activities were shown to be more helpful in improving balance, gait, quality of life, and lowering fear of falling in individuals with chronic degenerative osteoarthritis (CDOAs). The meta-analysis revealed that participating in aquatic physical therapy exercises enhances functional reach by causing a 6.36cm anterior displacement of the center of pressure of CDOAs. Aquatic physical therapy activities are superior to land-based exercises in improving balance, gait, quality of life, and lowering the fear of falling in individuals with chronic degenerative osteoarthritis (CDOAs). Nevertheless, the clinical conclusion remains unclear owing to the methodological limitations of the research. It is recommended that future studies be done with increased methodological rigor to get high-quality information about the effectiveness of water physical therapy activities in improving the outcomes assessed in CDOAs.