Influence of motor instruction words on body movements in step-over motions.
Hirokazu Kitao, Noriyuki Kida, Teruo Nomura and 4 others
PMID 34539064WHAT IT FOUND
Telling a healthy young adult to raise their thigh 'high' lifts the foot about 2 cm more than saying 'firmly'.
The effect is tiny and the participants were therapists, not patients, so this does not yet change clinical practice.
Key findings
01The instruction word 'high' produced significantly higher ankle elevation, hip flexion, and knee flexion angles compared to 'firmly'.
02The instruction 'thigh' produced significantly greater knee flexion angle than 'knee'.
03The authors note that despite statistical significance, the difference in ankle height between 'high' and 'firmly' was only about 2 cm.
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 participants were healthy young therapists (mean age 28.8 years), not the elderly or clinical populations who typically require step-over training for fall prevention. The instructions were displayed visually on a monitor, whereas real-world rehabilitation training is typically oral. The authors acknowledge that the difference in ankle height between 'high' and 'firmly' was only about 2 cm, which may not be clinically significant. The study used a Kinect sensor, which has reported errors in hip and knee angle measurements compared to more accurate systems.
Declared interests
There are no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that saying 'high' instead of 'firmly' will significantly improve patient safety or function. The study found a statistically significant difference of only about 2 cm in foot clearance among healthy young therapists, which may not translate to meaningful clinical outcomes for patients with mobility impairments.