Berg Balance Test - Description
Dear readers, here we are offering Berg Balance Test PDF to all of you. Balance gives a person the ability to achieve physical movement and carry out activities of daily living. The Berg Balance Scale is a test used to assess functional balance. It was created in 1989 by Katherine Berg to evaluate balance ability in the elderly, with an initial target population of 73 years with an average age.
It assesses both dynamic and static balance through 14 tasks in relation to mobility. The Berg Balance Scale is a test instrument with high validity and reliability that is used to measure balance. Equilibrium can be classified as static or dynamic. The Berg Balance Test pdf will help you to know about the Berg Balance Test.
Berg Balance Test PDF Introduction
The Berg Balance Scale is a test used to assess functional balance. It was created by Katherine Berg in 1989 to evaluate balance ability in the elderly, with the initial target population having an average age of 73. It evaluates both dynamic and static balance through 14 tasks regarding mobility. In the beginning, it was mostly used to assess stroke patients; however, this test has shown high validity and reliability in various patient populations, including neurological conditions such as Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and acquired conditions as lower extremity amputees.
The scale has been useful in predicting the risk of falls and outcomes and even assessing the length of stay at inpatient rehabilitation. It is a short test that can be performed relatively quickly under different environments.
What can I expect during the Berg balance scale test?
Your provider will ask you to perform 14 specific movements:
| 1. | Move from a sitting to a standing position. |
| 2. | Stand up unsupported. |
| 3. | Sit unsupported. |
| 4. | Move from a standing to a sitting position. |
| 5. | Transfer from one chair to another. |
| 6. | Stand up with your eyes closed. |
| 7. | Stand with your feet together. |
| 8. | Reach forward with an outstretched arm. |
| 9. | Pick an object up off of the floor. |
| 10. | Turn and look behind you. |
| 11. | Turn around in a complete circle. |
| 12. | Place each foot alternately on a stool in front of you. |
| 13. | Stand unsupported with one food directly in front of the other. |
| 14. | Stand on one leg for as long as you can. |
Anatomy and Physiology
Balance gives an individual the ability to achieve physical movement and further carry out the activities of daily living. Balance can be classified as either static or dynamic. In static balance, the body’s center of gravity is maintained within the base of support. In dynamic balance, the center of gravity is maintained within the base support while in movement. As balance is a skill that involves multiple body systems, including the musculoskeletal, cognitive, and somatosensory, it can be affected secondary to multiple conditions such as neurological diseases.
Many factors can lead to impaired balance depending on the individual’s condition. Limiting factors include muscle strength, motor coordination, poor cognition, and poor sensory organization, all of which may be affected in some way with a neurological condition.
In individuals with lower limb amputation, their gait is significantly affected. Studies have shown that balance strongly correlates with the gait performance of amputees. Hence, the better balance, the better walking ability, and better quality of life.
For individuals with Parkinson disease, their postural instability is a major disease characteristic that worsens balance and can further lead to decreased independence and physical ability.
Indications
Balance dysfunction is commonly seen in individuals above the age of 65. Individuals that have had a stroke greatly benefit from having their balance performance tested.
This test is indicated in the elderly, in neurological conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson disease, peripheral neuropathies, and other conditions that may affect gait, such as lower extremity amputees.
The Berg Balance Scale has been shown to have both high intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. Intra-rater reliability is when the same person who is administering the test can achieve the same results. Inter-rater reliability is when the test can be performed by different persons and achieve the same results.
A systematic review conducted by Downs evaluated the Berg Balance Scale for individuals with various neurological conditions, including acute stroke, recent stroke, multiple sclerosis, cognitively impaired patients, and Parkinson disease patients, in different settings such as acute inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation, outpatient clinic, and home visits. The intra-rater relative reliability was found to be 0.98, with a 95% conference interval (CI).
Contraindications
This test does not measure gait speed or quality of gait.[8] There is also evidence of both floor and ceiling effects with the test results. This can lead to the inability to detect changes in balance. Another limitation to this test is that it can slightly differ in the way it is performed by the person administering it, for example, when explaining the actual tasks to be done.
Equipment
The test takes around 15 to 20 minutes to complete and needs a few inexpensive pieces of equipment. It requires a stopwatch, a ruler or a measuring tape, a chair, a step, and an object that can be picked up. The test has been adapted in different languages, including Italian, Turkish, French, and others.
Personnel
The test can be administered by any individual in healthcare who has been trained. Nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physicians are able to perform the test with good reliability.
Technique
Little training is needed for administering this test. The scale can be downloaded or filled out online. It involves 14 mobility tasks, with the tasks varying in degrees of difficulty. The tasks are divided into 3 domains: sitting balance, standing balance, and dynamic balance. In the sitting balance, the task is the evaluation of sitting unsupported. Standing balance consist of standing unsupported, standing with eyes closed, standing with feet together, standing on one foot, turning to look behind, grabbing an object from the floor, reaching forward with outstretched arms, and placing one foot in front of the other. In the last domain, the dynamic balance is evaluated with the individual going from sitting to standing, standing to sitting, transferring, turning 360 degrees, placing one foot on a step.
You can download Berg Balance Test PDF by clicking on the following download.