The Effectiveness of Feldenkrais Exercise on Dynamic Balance and Risk of Fall among Older People in Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Older people refers to those who have experienced physiological changes due to the aging process. The overall physiological changes associated with aging lead to changes in body system. These changes lead to an increased problem in the older people, such as balance problems that leads to the risk of falls. Prevalence of the older people suffering from diseases that lead to the risk of falls has increased from 25% to 35% overtime. Unaddressed risk factors for falls lead to recurrent falls and poor quality of life. Effective multifactorial fall prevention programs in the primary care setting may be a promising approach to reduce incidence rate of falls. One of the interventions to address falls for the older people is Feldenkrais Exercise. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Feldenkrais Exercise on the dynamic balance and the risk of falling among the population. Methods: This research was a one group, pre-post-test study. A convenience sample of 25 community dwelling older adults was recruited in this study. The participants attended 5-week Feldenkrais Programs, consisting 60 minutes of Feldenkrais Exercise for three times per week. Time Up and Go Test (TUG) was used to measure the Dynamic Balance and Morse Falls Scale (MFS) was used to measure the Risk of Falls of the participants. Paired T-test were used to analyze the data. Results: After completion of the programs, dynamic balance (p = 0,001) and risk of falls (p=0,001) decreased, indicating that Feldenkrais Exercise is effective to be used to prevent falls among the older people. Conclusion: The results of this study support the hypothesis that Feldenkrais Exercise positively influence dynamic balance and the risk of falling among the older people. Feldenkrais Exercise can make up part of the rehabilitation program to prevent the decline of dynamic balance and reduce the incidence rate of falls among this population.