Fall in older adults: considerations on balance regulation, postural strategies, and physical exercise

Common among the older population, falls are considered a public health issue, accounting for high rates of morbidity and mortality. Thus, there is a need for theoretical studies that improve the understanding of the relationship between falls and their risk factors; the pathophysiology of balance and gait disorders; and early identification of “idiopathic fall” (with no apparent cause). Based on the specialized literature, the present study provides an overview of the role of sensory systems responsible for regulating postural control, showing the main strategies that older adults use to maintain postural control and the benefits of regular physical exercise for prevention of falls in older adults. Then, a graphic model describing the sequence of strategies used by older adults to regain an upright stance in different phases of postural perturbation is presented. In conclusion, poor performance of attention, memory, and executive functions increases postural instability and reduces gait speed, thereby raising the risk of falls. In this context, regular physical exercise may significantly reduce the rate of falls in older adults. Planned exercises are recommended and should involve cognitive tasks with moderate-to-high level of instability for two to three hours/week.