WHAT IS THE PHOSTUGRAPHY??

[maria angelica sassone]

the ability to balance a person "

Be supportive to the diagnosis of balance disorders . This is the main purpose of the posturography , evidence in clinical practice are applied still incipient in Spain, but have a great future. ENT specialists, rehabilitation physicians and occupational physicians to use them to discover the origin of balance disorders of their patients and plan the best possible rehabilitation treatment , he explains in this interview José María Baydal Bertomeu , coordinator of development of systems and services functional assessment of the Institute of Biomechanics of Valencia ( IBV ).

What is posturography ?

It is a technique that measures and assesses the ability to balance is an individual. This measurement is made through platforms that enable registration torque displacement of body center of pressure , which coincides with the vertical projection of its center of gravity (the center point of the weight distribution of the human body in space) .

Who is indicated posturography ?

For people who have balance problems , be it visual source , nervous or sensory.

And what disease is recommended?

"The posturography is useful in people with balance problems , be it visual source , nervous , sensory or locomotor "

There are many diseases in which there may be a balance problem , but rather than treat disease, posturography was used to identify patterns of rehabilitation, with a preventive value . The objective of this technique is to identify abnormal patterns of equilibrium prevent falls. However , what people are susceptible to be measured with this system? All who suffer from conditions that may affect your balance, as have suffered whiplash in a car accident , those with recent vertigo, vestibular problems that affect balance or those who suffer from dizziness ...

What about that record in the musculoskeletal problems ?

Yes, well , like fractures of the lower extremities in acute phases . The posturography may be useful for any disease that alters the balance , including those affecting the musculoskeletal system.

How are these scans ?

The person is placed standing on the platform , heels together, toes slightly apart , forming an angle of 30 degrees , more or less, upright posture with outstretched arms . Should be relaxed and stay completely silent : there can be anything capable of altering the balance.

What tests are performed ?

"This test is safe, just be careful with people who are very upset the balance and not be able to maintain standing "

various examinations conducted various tests. Some are the Romberg test , based on sensory impairment . Each one alters one of the systems that is based on balance and which support the human body to maintain balance. One part is made with eyes open and closed, with virtual reality goggles and projected a video with lots of movement to alter the visual information. And these same tests are repeated with the patient placed on a foam , so that altered somatosensory information from the body. Another test is to analyze the limits of stability of the body, the support base of the body.

How?

In them, the patient has a front screen and some targets , and must reach each of the targets to take the body to its stability limit , which varies by gender , height (because taller people have more base support) and age. The targets are placed at an appropriate distance , depending on the anthropometric parameters of each person, who must move the body without moving your feet to reach each of the targets. These are placed in all directions ( up to eight) of the human body , so that the person being tested can move forward the front , rear and sides ( and include the anterolateral and posterolateral ).

There is another to assess the control and skill , right?

"A shift of pressure indicates that the patient has a poor postural control , associated with balance deficits and increased risk of falling "

Yes, and control is to assess the limits of the support base , particularly the rhythmic postural control of the human body . The question is how the body gets out of control . Given a moving target, the subject must try to position your center of pressure on the moving target, moving in mediolateral and anteroposterior direction .

How do you register all you do for patients in these trials ?

The platform records the displacement of center of pressure . Then, using a computer application, mathematical algorithms (computer ), are calculated variables and kinetic parameters ( movement) that characterize the equilibrium. A greater shift in the center indicates that the patient has a poor postural control , which will associate a lack of balance and an increased risk of a crash.

With the results , do you get a diagnosis?

"In occupational medicine is used to prevent a person with balance problems stand on a scaffold

We do not like to call it that because the diagnosis is a function of the specialist physician . More than one diagnosis, we can state that serve to provide support to guide where is the problem of the pathology of each individual. Posturography are tests that identify the origin of postural or balance deficits .

What kind of professionals apply them?

In general , studies of equilibrium by doctors to the specialty of otolaryngology and rehabilitation, which are the specialties with more knowledge to analyze the balance deficits . The technique in itself apply to both physicians and rehabilitation therapists .

Does posturography is safe or has any limitation?

There is no limit or contraindication . Just be careful with people who are very upset the balance and that they can not keep up, and use a safety harness to prevent falls. In the more than ten years we have been with these tests in the IBV , no one has been dropped . tests are harmless.

A TECHNIQUE TO FUTURE

Posturography is used in the investigation of disorders of balance since the nineties of last century, but it was not until 2000 when he started his swing. Until then, posturography studies that were made in the clinic were on time, according to information from José María Baydal . Since then, posturography tests have been extended to otolaryngology clinics , rehabilitation and mutual work, but " still has considerable scope for growth and development "as Baydal .

In his opinion, "at present is a technique emerging in Spain , which use the various specialists as a tool to support the diagnosis to find the source of imbalance. It's very interesting to guide the rehabilitation , monitoring and control how the patient responds and adjust the goals based on what the person's condition at different stages of the process. " It is primarily used in the field, but also in others such as occupational medicineFor example, to prevent a person problems balance stand on a scaffold. WH