The duration and plantar pressure distribution during one-leg stance in Tai Chi exercise.

BACKGROUND Tai Chi exercise improved the balance control and muscle strength of the lower extremities. The aim of this study is to quantify the one-leg stance duration and plantar pressure distribution during the one-leg stance in Tai Chi and to try to elaborate on its probable effects on the ability to balance on one leg. METHODS Sixteen experienced Tai Chi practitioners participated in this study. The Novel Pedar-X insole system was used to record the plantar forces during the execution of a set of 42-form Tai Chi movements and during normal walking. The one-leg stance duration and plantar pressure distribution during the one-leg stance were analyzed. FINDINGS In Tai Chi exercise, the total duration spent in the one-leg stance was less (p<0.05), the duration of each one-leg stance was longer (p<0.01) and the medial-lateral displacement of the centre of pressure was greater (p<0.05) than during normal walking. The peak pressure and pressure-time integral of the second and third metatarsal heads and the fourth and fifth metatarsal heads were significantly greater (p<0.05) than those of other plantar regions during the one-leg stance in normal walking, whereas the peak pressure and pressure-time integral of the first metatarsal head and the great toe were significantly greater (p<0.05) than those of other plantar regions during the one-leg stance in Tai Chi exercise. INTERPRETATION The longer duration of each one-leg stance and the plantar pressure distribution characteristics during the one-leg stance in Tai Chi exercise may be associated with an improved ability to balance on one leg. The findings may provide useful information toward the development of strengthening programs, strategies for the prevention of falls, and the promotion of a physically active lifestyle.

[1]  F. Steinberg.  IMPAIRED ONE‐LEG BALANCE AS A CAUSE OF FALLS , 1998, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[2]  Daisuke Koizumi,et al.  Effects of combined sensory and muscular training on balance in Japanese older adults. , 2004, Preventive medicine.

[3]  M. Denišlič,et al.  Sensory thresholds in older adults: reproducibility and reference values. , 1995, Muscle & nerve.

[4]  R. Soames.  Foot pressure patterns during gait. , 1985, Journal of biomedical engineering.

[5]  B. Nigg,et al.  Quantifying a relationship between tactile and vibration sensitivity of the human foot with plantar pressure distributions during gait. , 1999, Clinical biomechanics.

[6]  B. Nigg,et al.  Influence of sensory input on plantar pressure distribution. , 1995, Clinical biomechanics.

[7]  Y. Shin,et al.  The effects of a walking exercise program on physical function and emotional state of elderly Korean women. , 1999, Public health nursing.

[8]  H. Hirschfeld,et al.  One-leg stance in healthy young and elderly adults: a measure of postural steadiness? , 2004, Clinical biomechanics.

[9]  H. Tropp,et al.  Postural control in single‐limb stance , 1988, Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society.

[10]  Y Mano,et al.  The assessment of posture control in the elderly using the displacement of the center of pressure after forward platform translation. , 2001, Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology.

[11]  J. Perry,et al.  The reliability and validity of the novel pedar system of in-shoe pressure measurement during free ambulation , 1997 .

[12]  T Szturm,et al.  Effects of varying acceleration of platform translation and toes-up rotations on the pattern and magnitude of balance reactions in humans. , 1998, Journal of vestibular research : equilibrium & orientation.

[13]  M. Mak,et al.  Mediolateral sway in single-leg stance is the best discriminator of balance performance for Tai-Chi practitioners. , 2003, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[14]  R. Brand,et al.  The biomechanics and motor control of human gait: Normal, elderly, and pathological , 1992 .

[15]  S Ino,et al.  Analysis of toe pressures under the foot while dynamic standing on one foot in healthy subjects. , 1996, The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy.

[16]  Youlian Hong,et al.  Tai chi: physiological characteristics and beneficial effects on health , 2001, British journal of sports medicine.

[17]  Youlian Hong,et al.  Tai Chi Movement and Proprioceptive Training: A Kinematics and EMG Analysis , 2003 .

[18]  T. Izumi,et al.  Effects on the location of the centre of gravity and the foot pressure contribution to standing balance associated with ageing. , 1999, Ergonomics.

[19]  I. Melzer,et al.  Effects of Regular Walking on Postural Stability in the Elderly , 2003, Gerontology.

[20]  Wei Liu,et al.  Spatial, temporal and muscle action patterns of Tai Chi gait. , 2004, Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology.

[21]  S. G. Lee,et al.  Moderate peripheral neuropathy impairs weight transfer and unipedal balance in the elderly. , 1996, Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

[22]  R W Bohannon,et al.  Decrease in timed balance test scores with aging. , 1984, Physical therapy.

[23]  T Tanaka,et al.  Objective method to determine the contribution of the great toe to standing balance and preliminary observations of age-related effects. , 1996, IEEE transactions on rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[24]  Youlian Hong,et al.  Balance control, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness among older Tai Chi practitioners , 2000, British journal of sports medicine.

[25]  V. Zatsiorsky,et al.  Periods of extreme ankle displacement during one-legged standing. , 2002, Gait & posture.

[26]  T. Kernozek,et al.  Reliability of an In-Shoe Pressure Measurement System During Treadmill Walking , 1996, Foot & ankle international.

[27]  M. Gossman,et al.  Balance performance, force production, and activity levels in noninstitutionalized men 60 to 90 years of age. , 1990, Physical therapy.

[28]  M. Gossman,et al.  Balance performance among noninstitutionalized elderly women. , 1989, Physical therapy.

[29]  Youlian Hong,et al.  Characteristics of foot movement in Tai Chi exercise. , 2006, Physical therapy.

[30]  Ge Wu,et al.  Ground contact characteristics of Tai Chi gait. , 2005, Gait & posture.

[31]  K. Schaller,et al.  Tai Chi Chih: an exercise option for older adults. , 1996, Journal of gerontological nursing.

[32]  Carlo J. De Luca,et al.  The role of plantar cutaneous sensation in unperturbed stance , 2004, Experimental Brain Research.

[33]  H. Stam,et al.  A model for the relation between the displacement of the ankle and the center of pressure in the frontal plane, during one-leg stance , 1997 .