Retro Walking With and Without Bosu Ball for Balance and Mobility in Hearing Impaired Children

Comparative Effects of Retro Walking With and Without Bosu Ball on Balance and Mobility in Children With Hearing Impairment

his randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effects of retro walking with and without BOSU ball training on balance and mobility in hearing-impaired children aged 8-12 years. A total of 24 participants will be divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group will receive retro walking along with BOSU ball training, while the control group will perform retro walking only for 8 weeks. Balance and mobility will be assessed using the Pediatric Balance Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, and One-Leg Stance Test. Data will be collected from specialized schools in Lahore and analyzed using SPSS 27. Ethical approval will be obtained prior to study commencement.

Children with hearing impairment often experience balance and motor deficits due to concomitant damage to the vestibular structures. Interventions focusing on balance training have shown promise in improving postural control and motor coordination in this population. Retro walking, or backward walking, has been identified as an effective exercise to enhance balance and motor control. Additionally, the BOSU ball, a fitness training device that provides an unstable surface, is commonly used for balance training. However, the combined effect of retro walking and BOSU ball training on balance and mobility in hearing-impaired children remains underexplored. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of retro walking on balance and mobility with and without Bosu ball in hearing impaired children.

The study design will be a randomized control trial. Data will be collected from Govt. Deaf and Defective Hearing Model High School for Girls Rajgarh and Deaf Reach School, Training Center and College, Lahore. The study will be completed in 10 months after the approval of synopsis. Children aged 8 to 12 years will be randomly assigned either into the experimental group(n=12) or control group (n=12). The experimental group will be provided retro walking exercises for 30 minutes 8 weeks and BOSU ball will also be 8 weeks duration. The Control group will provide only retro walking exercises for 8 weeks. Participants fulfilling the eligibility criteria will be asked to assign the consent form before entering into the study. Balance will be measured by pediatric balance scale, mobility will be measured by time up and go test and static balance will be measured by one leg stance test. The synopsis will be presented to Research Ethical Committee of Riphah International University, Lahore for ethical approval to conduct this study. Data will be analyzed through SPSS 27.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 8 to 12 years.
• Children with hearing loss in right and left ear (bilateral).
• Children with hearing-impaired intensity over 61 dB.
• Both genders will be included.
• Balance cut off value <45 on pediatrics balance scale.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of neurologic disease.
• Hyperactivity and vision problems.
• Have any musculoskeletal disorders.
• Children with cochlear implant.
• Children with leg length discrepancy