The Effects of Using Flexi-bar for Balance and Strength Training on the Balance and Muscle in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Aging of the neuromuscular system may lead to an increased risk of falls in older adults. There are external and internal factors for falls, and lower limb muscle strength and balance are important internal factors for falls in the elderly. And can be improved through exercise. Therefore, an important interventional goal in interventional exercises to prevent falls in the elderly is to promote balance and increase lower extremity muscle strength.

Flexi-bar is a device that provides vibration stimulation. Studies have shown that a 5Hz frequency can be generated when shaken and transmitted to the whole body. Flexi bar is now widely used in fitness centers or rehabilitation therapy to improve muscle strength and balance. Vibration activates the tonic reflex, enhances the excitability of alpha and gamma motor neurons and enhances motor unit synchronization, and this active vibration training helps increase muscle coordination as it induces the tonic reflex and stimulates the proprioception of the joint Feelings, these physiological changes can lead to more effective proprioceptive feedback that improves balance. And because the vibration causes the agonist and antagonist muscles to contract alternately to regulate the instability during the movement. In recreational athletes, the use of a flexi bar in a single-legged position can effectively induce lower extremity muscle activation.

A 12-week combination of balance and strength training in older adults has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of falls in older adults in previous studies.

Since the effect of adding Flexi bar on the basis of balance and strength training is unknown, the purpose of this study was to investigate the experimental group and the control group with the same exercise posture and training time, Flexi bar + BST Is it better for the balance and muscle strength of the elderly than simple BST?

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Community-dwelling; Strength Training; Flexi-bar; Vibration; Balance Training; Community Older
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Flexi-bar; Other: balance and strength training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: HSU TZ RUEI, Associate; Phone Number: 0970947904; Email: st990533@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital sport medicine; Phone Number: 6643．6644 (07) 312-1101

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 830
    • Recruiting
    • Xinqiang Li Activity Center
    • Contact: HSU TZ RUEI, Associate; Phone Number: 0970947604; Email: st990533@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 85 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

•Elderly people aged 65 to 85 in the community who can move on their own without the need for support from others.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Vulnerable groups: those who lack sufficient decision-making ability due to age, intellectual or physical (physiological) status, or who are vulnerable to undue influence, coercion, or inability to make decisions of free will due to their environment, identity, or socioeconomic status, People living in nursing homes and racially disadvantaged groups, etc.
• Have been diagnosed with mental illness and cognitive impairment
• Those who have had severe cardiovascular-related diseases such as unstable angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction and are not suitable for vigorous exercise
• Those with a history of epilepsy
• Those with severe pain in the lower extremity joints during the pre-test and unable to complete the above-mentioned lower extremity muscle strength or balance test.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Flexi-bar group	Device: Flexi-bar; two groups, experimental group intervention Flexi-bar with balance and strength training
Active Comparator: balance and strength group	Other: balance and strength training; the control group intervention only balance and strength training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
change from baseline gait and balance at 12 weeks	Functional gait assessment	baseline , up to 12 weeks( post test)
change from baseline dynamic balance at 12 weeks	Y-Balance Test	baseline , up to 12 weeks( post test)
change from baseline balance at 12 weeks	Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test	baseline , up to 12 weeks( post test)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
change from baseline lower strength at 12 weeks (1)	Chair standing test	baseline , up to 12 weeks( post test)
change from baseline lower strength at 12 weeks(2)	hand held dynamometer	baseline , up to 12 weeks( post test)
change from baseline ankle plantar flexor strength at 12 weeks	ankle plantar flexion test	baseline , up to 12 weeks( post test)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 7, 2022
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 23, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 15, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): January 18, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 18, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 15, 2023
• Last Verified: November 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: KMUHIRB-E(I)-20220165

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No