Basal Stimulation in Older Adults With Balance and Gait Problems

Abstract

Introduction: One of the problems usually found in older adults is the difficulty to move due to impaired balance and gait. Basal stimulation is an alternative to help this population group.

Objective: To determine the effects of basal stimulation on balance and gait problems in older adults.

Material and methods: A quasi-experimental investigation was carried out. Prior to the approval of the bioethics committee, we worked with 26 older adults who received 36 interventions, divided into three sessions per week lasting 20 minutes and with a baseline stimulation protocol. An assessment was made through a survey and Tinetti scale before and after the intervention. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyze the results.

Results: In the final evaluation it was shown that of 26 patients, 65% had problems with balance and 34% had no problems. When evaluating gait, 69.2% presented gait problems and 30% did not present difficulty, 61% had a high risk of falls, 23.1% had an average risk of falling, and 3.8% had a low risk of falls. It is shown that at a significance level of 5%, Px = 0.011, which means that the null hypothesis is rejected, therefore, basal stimulation has beneficial effects in these conditions.

Conclusion: Basal stimulation helps with gait and balance problems and reduces the risk of falls in this population.