Healthy Volunteers, Persons With no Known Significant Health Problems
Conditions
Keywords
postural control, postural balance, slackline
Brief summary
Slacklines have been established in the last few years as a training equipment in sports such as climbing, skiing and others to increase postural control. Furthermore, slacklines are used in physiotherapy in terms of stabilizing training such as wobbling boards. However, if slackline training is effective in rehabilitation has not been investigated yet. Therefore, to goal of this study will be to investigate the effectivity of slackline training in physiotherapy compared to a wobbling board with a single tilting axis. Outcomes will be electromyographic-data and the kinetics of the whole body.
Detailed description
Comparing beginners pre-training (less than 1 hour of slackline training) to post-training (9 times 30 minutes of individual, controlled training) to investigate the effects of balance training on a slackline. Comparing beginners (less than 1 hour of slackline training) to professionals (more than 100 hours of slackline training) to investigate differences in balance strategies. Comparing professionals during slacklining under two different conditions of their visual anchor: fix vs. moving. This to investigate the role of the visual system during balance reactions. Comparing slackline training versus a demanding training standing-on-1-leg. We do compare Y-balance-performance, performance on the MFT challenge disc, each compared with simultanousely recording body Sway (lower trunk) with SwayStar. Muscle activity will be investigated by absolute amplitude (mV) and frequency to get an idea of which muscle fibers are acting during the task and how the activation pattern may change through motor learning. Body kinematics should show movement strategies especially differences in roll and pitch control of the body.
Interventions
DEVICESlackline
Slackbase PRO CE: certificated by european law for medical devices (EG Richtlinie 93/42/EWG)
DEVICEWobbling Board
Wobbling Board CE: certificated by european law for medical devices (EG Richtlinie 93/42/EWG)
DEVICEPre-training
First investigation of the beginners with less than 1 hour experience with slacklining.
DEVICEFix visual anchor
Professionals have to gaze at a fixed visual anchor during the slacklining.
DEVICEMoving visual anchor
Professionals have to gaze at a moving visual anchor during the slacklining.
DEVICEPost-training
Second investigation of the beginners occurs after a training session of 9 times 30 minutes within a few weeks.
DEVICESlackline vs. standing-on-1-leg vs. control
beginners have to train 9 times \ 15minutes within y few weeks.
Sponsors
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
THIM - die internationale Hochschule für Physiotherapie
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
different protocol-arms: crossover for comparing slackline vs. wobble board vs. flamingo balance task parallel for slackline training vs. enhanced standing-on-1-leg training
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 30 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* young healthy, 18-30 years old * small operations on muscle-skeletal-system on upper extremities * birth control pill
Exclusion criteria
* any actual injuries on lower extremities * injuries on lower extremities less than one year back * operations of muscle-skeletal-system at shoulder/neck, trunk/pelvis and lower extremities * fear of falling * any medications * cardiac pacemaker or cardiac arrhythmia * pregnancy * skeletal anomaly * appendicitis less then 2 years back
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle activity using surface electromyography device. 1. measuring amplitude of muscle activation in mV (millivolt) 2. measuring frequency pattern of muscle activation to distinguish /detect activation of slow and fast muscle fibers | average of 6 weeks | single investigation for arms: 1. BEGINNERS: a. slackline compared to wobble board 2. PROFESIONALS: 1. slackline compared to wobble board 2. fix visual anchor compared to moving visual anchor double investigation: 1. BEGINNERS a. pre-training compared to post-training, expected training period average of 6 weeks, totally 9 trainings of 30 minutes each |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Whole body kinematics (composite outcome measure): a. calculating joint angles [deg & deg/s] b. calculating absolute and relative body part movements (such as trunk, pelvis, head): tilts & translations [mm, mm/s] | average of 6 weeks | single investigation for arms: BEGINNERS: a. slackline compared to wobble board PROFESIONALS: slackline compared to wobble board fix visual anchor compared to moving visual anchor double investigation: 1. BEGINNERS a. pre-training compared to post-training, expected training period average of 6 weeks, totally 9 trainings of 30 minutes each |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| measuring the duration of a trial (if less than 30 sec): measured in sec | average of 6 weeks | single investigation for arms: BEGINNERS: a. slackline compared to wobble board PROFESIONALS: slackline compared to wobble board fix visual anchor compared to moving visual anchor double investigation: 1. BEGINNERS a. pre-training compared to post-training, expected training period average of 6 weeks, totally 9 trainings of 30 minutes each |
| Y-balance-performance: measured in cm | average of 6 weeks | single investigation for arms: BEGINNERS: a. slackline training vs. standing-on-1-leg training vs. control a. pre-training compared to post-training, expected training period average of 6 weeks, totally 9 trainings of 15 minutes each |
| MFT challenge disc: measured in a score | average of 6 weeks | single investigation for arms: BEGINNERS: a. slackline training vs. standing-on-1-leg training vs. control a. pre-training compared to post-training, expected training period average of 6 weeks, totally 9 trainings of 15 minutes each \-------------------------------------- MFT Scale (Multi Functional Training) Scale Construct The diagnostics and scoring on the Challenge Disc is based on experience with other similar test equipment. Espacially the widely used Biodex Stability System. Total Score Total score is composed of the anterior-posterior and lateral-medial movement on the board. Scale Range Score 1-5 (1= good; 5=bad) Subscales unknown |
Countries
Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed