The effect of walking sticks on balance in geriatric subjects.
Esra Dogru, Harun Kizilci, Nilay Comuk Balci and 3 others
PMID 28174431WHAT IT FOUND
In 39 older adults already using a walking stick, balance scores were higher when they held the stick than when they did not.
The pattern was seen across body mass groups, but stick use was not assigned.
Key findings
01Berg Balance Scale scores were 47.3 with the walking stick and 36.1 without it.
02Higher scores with the stick were reported in all body mass index groups.
03Balance scores while using the stick did not differ by stick material.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 39 participants were studied, and the authors noted this was too few to compare age groups or stick materials. All participants lived in residential aged care or rehabilitation, so the findings may not apply to older adults living independently. The participants were already using walking sticks, so the study cannot show what happens when a therapist first recommends one. The paper gives different age ranges: methods say 65 to 95 years, results say 63 to 95 years. The study measured balance scores at the time of testing, not falls over time.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that walking sticks prevent falls or that any older adult should be given one. The study measured balance scores in current stick users with and without their own stick, not falls over time.