Entrenamiento del equilibrio en la marcha del adulto mayor mediante realidad virtual

Abstract

The deterioration of physical coordination, balance and falls are some of the main causes of morbidity and mortality, which can generate loss of autonomy and impair the quality of the elderly population, virtual reality provides a modern and interactive approach to physical activity and balance training. That is why this study aimed to design a program for balance training in the gait of older adults using Virtual Reality. Fifteen older adults with an age range from 65 to 84 years old belonging to the care unit "Dulce Hogar" of one of the MIES projects participated, all of them executed the program through virtual reality for 14 weeks with a frequency of 1 session per week. Participants were evaluated before and after the intervention using the Tinetti scale and the unipodal station (timed). The number of repetitions, difficulty and time were gradually increased. The SPSS program was used for statistical analysis. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis that the parameters tested: balance, gait and risk of falling improved after the application of the virtual reality program. It is concluded that Virtual Reality applied in a program for balance training in gait in the elderly is beneficial for balance, gait performance and decreases the risk of falls in the elderly. Future research on the subject is necessary to expand its application in the field of physical therapy.