The effectiveness of transverse abdominis training on balance, postural sway and core muscle recruitment patterns: a pilot study comparison across age groups.
Richard Ferraro, Sarah Garman, Rebecca Taylor and 2 others
PMID 31631946WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults showed the greatest improvement in balance after a single 15-minute session of transverse abdominis training, reducing sway significantly more than younger groups.
Functional reach did not improve. This suggests immediate neuromuscular benefits for older patients, but results are preliminary.
Key findings
01In older adults, medial-lateral sway and total sway path length decreased significantly after training, with greater improvement than in younger or middle-aged groups.
02Functional Reach Test scores increased slightly in all age groups, but no within-group changes were statistically significant.
03Younger adults showed greater activation of the transverse abdominis muscle after training compared to older adults, though sway improvements were smaller.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This was a pilot study with a small sample size, particularly for the electromyography analysis, which was not adequately powered to detect muscle activation differences. There was no control group, so improvements could be due to practice effects or learning rather than the specific transverse abdominis training. Participants were healthy, active adults with no fall history, so results may not apply to frailer or more disabled patients. Footwear, vision, and proprioception were not controlled, which can all influence balance measures. The study measured only immediate effects; it is unknown if these benefits last over time.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this training improves functional balance tasks like reaching or walking. The study only measured sway during single-leg standing and found no significant improvement in the Functional Reach Test. Additionally, the lack of a control group means we cannot rule out that participants improved simply because they practiced the task.