Fall arrest strategy training improves upper body response time compared to standard fall prevention exercise in older women: A randomized trial.
Catherine M Arnold, Joel Lanovaz, Jonathan P Farthing and 3 others
PMID 35287479WHAT IT FOUND
Adding upper body fall-arrest training to standard exercise improved right-arm response speed in older women.
Both groups improved balance and strength similarly, but only the fall-arrest group reacted faster to touch targets.
Key findings
01Only the Fall Arrest Strategy Training (FAST) group showed significant improvement in upper extremity response time, specifically for the right hand.
02Both the FAST and Standard exercise groups improved significantly in fall risk factors, upper body strength, and mobility, with no significant difference between the two groups for these outcomes.
03The study was underpowered to detect differences in upper body strength, with post-hoc analysis showing only 44% power for concentric strength.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (40 participants), and post-hoc analysis showed low power (44%) for detecting differences in upper body strength. Participants lived in assisted living sites, so cross-contamination between groups was possible. The study did not measure actual fall rates or injury occurrences, only surrogate outcomes like response time. Recruitment and retention were affected by an influenza outbreak and environmental issues at one site.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was funded by the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that faster arm response time directly prevents head or wrist injuries. The study measured reaction speed in a lab setting, not actual fall outcomes or injury rates.