Getting the Dosage Right in Balance Exercise Prescription: the Intensity Problem

As our population ages, finding effective interventions to treat balance impairments is critical. In the United States Medicare spent over $31 billion in 2015 managing fall injuries. More than 800,000 people a year were hospitalized because of a fall, most often a fractured hip or head injury. Fall injuries are among the top 20 most expensive medical conditions, with an average cost of over $30,000. Furthermore, these direct costs do not account for the long-term effects of these injuries such as disability, dependence on others, lost time from work and household duties, and reduced quality of life [1]. Thus, determining effective means of preventing falls is a significant health care need.