Investigation of the Effect of Improvement in Function on Foot Pressure, Balance and Gait in Children With Rheumatic Diseases Whose Upper Extremity Affected

Detailed Summary

It has been shown that movements of the upper extremity during walking are associated with lower extremity mobility. For example, when walking at a slow pace, the swing frequency of the arms is 2: 1 compared to the legs, while the limb frequency decreases to 1: 1 as the walking speed increases. That is, in order to walk fast, the lower extremity takes advantage of the acceleration of the upper extremity \[1\]. It is known that the muscles of the shoulder girdle also support this oscillating movement in the upper extremity during walking. Thus, it is thought that blocking or restricting shoulder girdle and arm movements during walking increases energy expenditure and heart rate, decreases gait stability, and decreases stride length and walking speed \[2,3\]. However, the possible effects that the upper limb can aid in movement include decreasing vertical displacement of the center of mass, decreasing angular momentum or decreasing ground reaction moment, and increasing walking stability \[2-4\]. In these studies that restrict arm swing, methods such as crossing the arms on the chest \[5\], holding the arm in a sling or pocket \[6\], or fixing the arms to the trunk with a bandage \[7\] were used. Studies have generally been conducted on healthy individuals or on the biomechanical model, and arm swing during walking has not been investigated in pathologies with only upper extremity involvement (upper extremity fractures, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis) without any problems with lower extremity and/or walking. This study is aimed to reveal the effects of decreased upper extremity functionality on walking and balance.

Study Details

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