For many victims of illness or injury, losing their sense of balance can result in drastic changes in daily life and activity. When the body's ability to maintain its balance is out of whack, simple actions we take for granted - like standing or walking - become difficult, sometimes even impossible.

Whether the patient is a teenager who suffered a head injury in a car accident or a grandmother impaired by a stroke, the devastating results are the same.

But patients suffering from balance and mobility disorders can benefit from clinical tools originally developed for the Space Program through NASA-funded research in the 1980s.

A device called the Balance Master measures the equilibrium of astronauts returning from space. This apparatus and another system called the EquiTest - both produced by NeuroCom International, Clackamas, Ore. - are now widely used by major medical centers in the United States and abroad in diagnosing and treating their patients.

Both devices use interactive technology to measure a patient's response to movement, and then provide computer-generated assessments of the person's balance and stability. These tools help in pinpointing the specific sensory and motor impairment problems, and assist in rehabilitation. Using one of these tools to repeat the testing helps a therapist measure a patient's progress.

The evaluation is assisted by computer training exercises designed to address specific balance problems. They can range from movement needed for everyday activities to highly demanding athletic skills.

The therapists can tailor the training to encourage specific movements that will help the patient build physical stability, endurance and confidence.

Whether it's an Olympic gymnast, a returning astronaut, or a recovering stroke victim, everyone depends on the body's sense of balance in their daily lives

Related Links
Spinoff at NASA
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express