Clinical Interventions in Aging (Oct 2024)

Effects on Physical Functioning and Fear of Falling of a 3-Week Balneotherapy Program Alone or Associated with a Physical Activity and Educational Program in Older Adult Fallers: A Randomized-Controlled Trial

  • Bernard PL,
  • de la Tribonniere X,
  • Pellecchia A,
  • Gamon L,
  • Herman F,
  • Picot MC,
  • Raffort NJ,
  • Paillard T,
  • Robiaud JB,
  • Ninot G,
  • Bousquet J,
  • Blain H

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 19
pp. 1753 – 1763

Abstract

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Pierre Louis Bernard,1 Xavier de la Tribonniere,2 Alessandra Pellecchia,2 Lucie Gamon,3 Fanchon Herman,3 Marie-Christine Picot,3 Nathalie J Raffort,4 Thierry Paillard,5 Jean-Baptiste Robiaud,6 Gregory Ninot,7 Jean Bousquet,8 Hubert Blain6 1Euromov Digital Health in Motion, Université de Montpellier, IMT Mines d’Ales, France; 2Transversal Patient Education Unit (UTEP), University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; 3Centre d’Investigation Clinique 1411, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; 4Balaruc-les-bains balneotherapy centre, Balaruc-les-bains, France; 5Movement, Balance, Performance and Health Laboratory, University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour, Tarbes, France; 6Department of Geriatrics, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; 7Desbrest Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health UMR 1318 Inserm - University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France; 8Institute of Allergology, Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, GermanyCorrespondence: Hubert Blain, Email [email protected]: The effects on gait and posture of balneotherapy in fallers are unknown. We assessed the effects on physical functioning and fear of falling of a balneotherapy program alone or combined with a physical activity and educational program in older adult fallers.Methods: A multicenter randomized controlled trial enrolled patients aged 65 or older referred to a 3-week balneotherapy program, and screened for risk of falling (a history of falls in the last year and a timed up and go test or a five chair rising test > 12 sec or a 4-meter walk test > 4 sec). In addition to balneotherapy, patients had either no intervention (controls) or twelve 60-minute sessions of physical activity including 15 minutes of health education and three 90-minute sessions of an educational program (intervention).Results: There were 118 control and 105 intervention patients. The balneotherapy program alone had a clinically significant effect on (i) the grip strength, (ii) the five chair rising test, (iii) the 4-meter walk test, and (iv) the short physical performance battery (Cohen’s d 0.29– 0.46). It had no effect on (i) the maximum time stood on one foot, and (ii) the timed up and go test. Furthermore, it worsened the falls efficacy scale (d = 0.27). Adding a physical activity and educational program significantly improved (i) the time stood on one foot (Cohen’s d =− 0.34), and (ii) the timed up and go test (d=- 0.44), (iii) and reduced the concern about falling (Falls Efficacy scale, d=− 0.25), and (iv) the fear of falling (d=− 0.34).Conclusion: Older patients referred to a balneotherapy program and at high risk of falling when screened at the entrance of the center should be offered an additional physical and educational program to further improve the functional effects of balneotherapy on the timed up and go test, balance, and the fear of falling.Keywords: balneotherapy, falls, physical activity, educational program, fear of falling, physical performances

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