Patty Scheets, PT, MHS, DPT, NCS, Director of Quality & Clinical Outcomes, is an author on recent study published in the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy. The study, which is entitled What is Backward Disequilibrium and How Do I Treat it?: A Complex Patient Case Study, is featured in the April edition of the highly regarded professional publication.
Scheets along with four peers examine a little understood neurological condition called backward disequilibrium (BD), which is a “postural disorder observed in some older adults who have a distortion in their perception of postural vertical.” What that translates to is an individual experiencing BD may exhibit balance issues, sensory detection deficit such as not knowing where their feet are spatially, or falling backwards when in a sitting position — among other symptoms.
“We were able to find one other group of researchers who have described backward disequilibrium in the literature, which shows that this area is just beginning to be understood,” says Scheets. “We really feel that just knowing that this condition exists helped us to identify it in the patient at the center of our case study; and we hope by sharing what we’ve learned, other therapists can put this knowledge to practice.”
The article is fascinating in its depth and understanding of how therapists should diagnose and treat patients with BD. The abstract and additional supporting information can be accessed by clicking here.
Patty Scheets, PT, MHS, DPT, NCS
Director of Quality & Clinical Outcomes
