A Pilot Study to Investigate the Effect of Motor Imagery on Dynamic Balance of Asymptomatic University Students: An Experimental Study
A Pilot Study to Investigate the Effect of Motor Imagery on Dynamic Balance of Asymptomatic University Students: An Experimental Study
This study intended to investigate the effect of imagining a movement task on dynamic balance of sedentary university students. Two groups with good mental imaging ability were studied; one group receiving instructions on mental imagery and the other served as a control receiving no particular intervention. Any improvement in the balance ability was measured using the star excursion balance test (SEBT); for it has good to excellent test-retest reliability and validity as established by several researchers.
Motor imagery (MI) refers to a cognitive process during which the representation of a specific motor action is internally simulated without producing an overt body movement. Motor imagery is now widely used as a technique to enhance motor learning and to enhance recovery during rehabilitation of various conditions such as sports injuries, stroke, etc. Several studies have also shown improvement in strength, function, and use of both upper and lower extremities in chronic stroke. Present study aimed to identify its effectiveness in improving dynamic balance of individuals without any clinical problem. Such improvement, if any, may be useful in early balance and proprioceptive training during the maximum protection phase of joint injuries, fractures, or even rehabilitation of other clinical conditions affecting balance. It may have benefits in maintaining / improving movements in athletes after injuries as well as the general less active population, including the elderly population.
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