Optimization of Feldenkrais Training as a Prevention of Falling Risk

in Elderly

Nungki Marlian Yuliadarwati

Departemen Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Science, University of Muhammadiyah Malang

Jalan Bandung No. 1 Malang 65113, East Java, Malang, Indonesia

Keywords: Elderly, Falling Risk, Feldenkrais

Abstract: At the time of continued mass, there will be a decrease in physiological functions or systems that will cause

interference to appear. Increasing the age of life expectancy will also increase the risk of falling. This study

aims to know the effect of optimizing Feldenkrais exercises as prevention of falling risk in the elderly. The

method in this study uses pre-experimental research with one group pretest-posttest design approach. The

Berg Balance Scale measures the fall risk. The data analysis test in this study used the Wilcoxon test using

the SPSS application program. The results of the data analysis showed P = 0,000 <α = 0.05, indicating that

H1 was received from this study and H0 was rejected. In conclusion, the optimization of Feldenkrais exercises

affects the risk of falls in the elderly.

1 INTRODUCTION

The elderly are an advanced stage that is passed in the

life process of every human being characterized by a

decrease in the ability and function of the body

physically and psychologically (Fristantia, 2018). In

the elderly experienced a decrease in the

physiological body, especially those that are very

instrumental in controlling balance such as a decrease

in muscle strength, posture, fat levels that accumulate

in certain areas, and some balance components

namely the visual sensory system, system, vestibular,

somatosensory consists of tactile or proprioceptive as

well as cognitive perception (Ullmann & Williams,

2015).

Factors that influence the risk of falling is the

scope of joint motion (Joint Range Of Motion),

namely the ability of the joints to help body

movement and direct a movement, especially when

the movement requires a high balance. On decreasing

the scope of joint motion in the elderly, there will be

an unfavorable balance control in the elderly, thus

increasing the risk of falls in the elderly(Vrantsidis et

al., 2009). Data from Basic Health Research in 2013

The prevalence of injury or fall in the elderly aged 55-

64 by 49.4%, elderly aged 66-74 by 67.1%, and

elderly aged over 75 by 78.2%. The increasing age of

life expectancy of the elderly will also increase the

risk of falling due to impaired balance (fristantia,

2018)

Data on the increased risk of falling very high

above the age of 60 years and above, it is necessary

to prevent the Feldenkrais method with the learning

approach of a person's movements verbally guided

through a series of movements which aim to increase

body awareness and movement organization

(Connors et al., 2011). Through increased

understanding and awareness of how the body

regulates movement patterns because, in this method,

it discusses the patterns of movement of one's habits

(Vrantsidis et al., 2009).

Elderly is a process in which the advanced stages

that are passed in the process of life in every human

being are characterized by a decrease in physiological

and bodily functions both physically and

psychologically elderly themselves (Bearman &

Shafarman, 2004).

The risk of falling on the elderly is the body's

ability to maintain posture stability from motor

activities, which cannot be separated from existing

environmental factors and regulatory systems that

play a role in posture formation. The purpose of the

body to maintain a posture from the risk of falling is

220

Yuliadarwati, N.

Optimization of Feldenkrais Training as a Prevention of Falling Risk in Elder ly.

DOI: 10.5220/0009127702200222

In Proceedings of the 2nd Health Science International Conference (HSIC 2019), pages 220-222

ISBN: 978-989-758-462-6

to support the body to defy gravity and maintain the

center of mass of the body so that it is aligned and

balanced with the fulcrum plane and stabilizes the

body when moving into position such as walking or

moving (Ahrensdorf, Certified, Teacher, Verin, &

Feldenkrais, n.d.).

A berg balance scale can measure the risk of

falling in the elderly. The BBS scale was developed

in 1989 using a process of interviews with patients

and health professionals. There are 14 items of tests

conducted for the risk of falling. Each item contains a

weight of 0 to 4, with a maximum value of 56, which

is the highest score indicating the risk of falling in the

least elderly (Fristantia, 2018).

2 METHODS

The research subjects were 86 elderly in Rejoso sub-

village, East Java, Indonesia. This type of research

uses quantitative methods with pre-experimental

designs with pretest and post-test design. Fall risk is

measured before and after with the berg balance test.

The normality test uses Kolmogorov Smirnoff, and

the analysis of influence data tests use Wilcoxon.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The Feldenkrais method is a very useful exercise to

train the balance, especially in the elderly. This

method use re-learning, which will be guided by a

sequence of proposed body movements to improve

body balance. All parts of the body that support to be

involved in movements such as sense organs,

touching, sensation, vestibular, proprioceptive,. The

principle of this method is how to think, feel, and

understand all the functions of each component of the

body (Fonow et al., 2017).

Feldenkrais on the level of balance in the elderly in

Rejoso Village, Batu City. This research was

conducted for four weeks and began in April, and

May 2018, and 68 samples were conducted. Then 68

samples will be given intervention in the form of the

Feldenkrais method which is done 2x meetings in a

week and carried out for four weeks. There are six

exercises found in this Feldenkrais method, the dose

of each exercise given eight times the count with three

reps (Ahrensdorf et al., n.d.).

Degeneration experienced by the elderly or

increasing age will cause setbacks and changes in all

systems in the body one of which is a decrease in

body balance in the elderly and with increasing age

causes a decrease in the central nervous system such

as vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual so that the

balance is disturbed (Lindner, 2014).

In humans who have the elderly cause a decrease

in the ability of both physical, financial, social, and

mental. In general, humans who have entered old age

often experience unfavorable health conditions such

as decreased muscle strength decreased sensory

system which results in disruption of balance in the

body (Patel & Bipinbhai, 1956)

The results of the statistical analysis with the

Wilcoxon test obtained P = 0,000 <α = 0.05, it can be

concluded that there is an effect of the optimization

of the Feldenkrais method exercise on the risk of

falling in the elderly in the Rejoso Village, Batu City.

The ability to carry out an activity not only

involves the factors that cause the risk of falling, but

there are other factors such as muscle strength,

proprioception, pain, and in terms of anticipating falls

(Plastaras et al., 2013). The Feldenkrais Method

exercise aims to increase body mobility and is

designed for the elderly especially to increase

flexibility, balance, and mobility of the elderly

(Palmer, 2017)

The Feldenkrais Method can be considered as a

method of learning through the body that can enhance

all actions or activities carried out by someone not

only aspects of the mind and emotions but is designed

to provide increased awareness of one's body

(Igweonu, 2010). The Feldenkrais method will be

directly applied by sensory systems such as the visual,

vestibular, and somatosensory systems. In this

method, the visual system plays a role because it is an

important component of balance to provide

information about the surrounding environment to

anticipate future disturbances. The vestibular system

is also very important in balance, head control,

eyeball movement. The somatosensory system also

has a role in providing information about the

perceived position of movements in the body that are

felt. The influence of the elderly on proprioceptive is

the decrease in muscle mass and strength. Loss of

strength can limit a person to do daily activities,

increase the likelihood of falling in the elderly, even

the loss of mechanoreceptors which can reduce

proprioceptors and disturbed balance (Kampe, 2010).

In the practice of the Feldenkrais method, it is

believed that when doing this method the muscles

will relax due to the movement in this method is very

minimal so that they can feel the movements made.

Therefore, the aim of the practice of the Feldenkrais

Method is to increase awareness of the body. These

strategies such as changes in speed, repetition of

Optimization of Feldenkrais Training as a Prevention of Falling Risk in Elderly

221

movements, regulating breathing patterns, and

sequence of movements (Lindner, 2014).

The Feldenkrais method emphasizes motion

control and movement coordination through the re-

learning of the sensory system. This system is guided

by proprioceptive, coordinated motion, sensation,

visual, hearing power, and movement control. This

technique will also increase awareness of motor

movements or moving the body with maximum

efficiency but with minimal effort (Joseph,

Paungmali, & Mohan, 2015)

4 CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results obtained and the explanation

above, it can be concluded that there is an effect of

optimizing Feldenkrais exercise as a risk of falling in

the elderly. It is hoped that other studies can research

the Feldenkrais Method to improve balance by using

reliable measuring devices so that they get more

accurate results and do not spend much time. It is

expected that researchers expand the population,

especially the elderly so that they can increase the

number of samples in this study. This research can

also be used as literature or a source for future

research.

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