Treadmill Aims to "Inoculate" Older Adults against Falls
From: PT Products - 04/11/2014

Clive Pai, PhD, MPT, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is
developing a computerized treadmill program that can be used by physical
therapy professionals to prevent falls and fall-related injuries in older
adults. Pai was awarded a 5 year, $1 million grant from the National
Institute on Aging to develop the program. The professor, who has been
studying falls for more than 20 years, believes people can be trained
relatively quickly and easily how not to fall.

In a study, Pai enlisted adults ages 65 years to almost 90 years who live
independently. The subjects were never told when or how they might fall, and
they used a special walkway in Pai’s lab while strapped into a safety
harness. According to a news report from The Suncoast News, the footing
surface for the patients then slid out from under them. Pai explains, "For
the first time, the second time, and maybe the third time, they experienced
falling. And then, all of sudden, they stopped falling. They were so quick to
adapt."

Read the entire article at:
http://www.ptproductsonline.com/2014/04/treadmill-aims-inoculate-older-adults-against-falls/
http://suncoastnews.com/su/list/news-business/study-older-people-can-be-trained-not-to-fall-20140326/
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/uoia-cat032014.php
http://www.ahs.uic.edu/pt/news/title,14519,en.html

Link:
Clive Pai
http://www.uic.edu/ahs/cgmal/person/Pai.htm
http://www.ahs.uic.edu/kn/academics/phd/rs/faculty/name,1984,en.html

Related:
Study's goal: To help patients walk after stroke
http://www.ahs.uic.edu/pt/news/title,14517,en.html