Martial arts fall techniques reduce hip impact forces in naive subjects after a brief period of training.
Publication year
2008Source
Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 18, 2, (2008), pp. 235-42ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
Rehabilitation
Journal title
Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology
Volume
vol. 18
Issue
iss. 2
Page start
p. 235
Page end
p. 42
Subject
DCN 1: Perception and Action; UMCN 3.2 Cognitive NeurosciencesAbstract
Hip fractures are among the most serious consequences of falls in the elderly. Martial arts (MA) fall techniques may reduce hip fracture risk, as they are known to reduce hip impact forces by approximately 30% in experienced fallers. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether hip impact forces and velocities in MA falls would be smaller than in a 'natural' fall arrest strategy (Block) in young adults (without any prior experience) after a 30-min training session in sideways MA fall techniques. Ten subjects fell sideways from kneeling height. In order to identify experience-related differences, additional EMG data of both fall types were collected in inexperienced (n=10) and experienced fallers (n=5). Compared to Block falls, MA falls had significantly smaller hip impact forces (-17%) and velocities (-7%). EMG results revealed experience-related differences in the execution of the MA fall, indicative of less pronounced trunk rotation in the inexperienced fallers. This may explain their smaller reduction of impact forces compared to experienced fallers. In conclusion, the finding that a substantial reduction in impact forces can be achieved after a short training in MA techniques is very promising with respect to their use in interventions to prevent fall injuries.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Academic publications [238441]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [90373]
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