Effects of active and passive light-touch support on postural stability during tandem standing.
Miyoko Watanabe, Hiroaki Tani
PMID 32082030WHAT IT FOUND
Light fingertip contact steadied tandem standing more than no contact in 11 healthy adults.
Active self-touch was better overall than passive touch, especially with eyes closed. This was a lab test, not evidence for fall-risk patients.
Key findings
01Light fingertip contact improved tandem standing stability compared with no contact, and active self-touch was better than passive touch overall.
02With eyes closed, active light touch was better than passive touch and no touch; with eyes open, active and passive light touch were not significantly different.
03The measured force of light-touch support did not differ significantly across conditions, so the stability difference was not explained by more support force.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used only 11 healthy young adults, so it does not show what happens in older adults, people with neurological or musculoskeletal conditions, or patients at risk of falling. The task was 30 seconds of tandem standing on a force plate, not walking, daily balance, or fall outcomes. The order was counterbalanced, but the small sample and repeated trials may not represent clinical variability. The authors did not clarify why active light touch helped more than passive light touch without vision.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP17K18053.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that passive therapist light touch is as effective as active self-touch for clinical balance problems. The study found active light touch was better overall and with eyes closed, and it tested only 11 healthy young adults in a short lab task.