Berg k, maki b, williams ji, holliday p, wooddauphinee s. If subject requires physical assistance to perform an item score the lowest category 0 for that item. Supports self with upper extremities but requires therapist assistance. Use of the berg balance scale for predicting multiple falls. How to interpret the berg balance scale test youtube. Physiotherapy research and older people prop group, stokes ek. Berg balance scale berg k, wooddauphinee s, williams ji, gayton d.
Berg balance scale with instructions sitting to standing instructions. The activitiesspecific balance confidence abc scale. The berg balance scale is designed to provide a functional measure of balance performance. Reliability assessment for elderly residents and patients with an acute stroke. Patients were assessed with the berg balance scale at 14, 30 and 90 days post stroke by an occupational therapist the score of the short form was determined by. Both projects determined bbs performance, selfselected gait speed, and gaitaid use in samples of communitydwelling, independently ambulant individuals older than 65 years. The berg balance scale bbs was developed by katherine berg in 1989 to measure balance ability static and dynamic among older adults. Write the total for each exam date in the space on page 2. The berg balance scale bbs is a 56point scale that evaluates 14 tasks.
Ub and lb exercises with resistance quadriceps, bicepstriceps, hip abductorsadductors. Intrarater testretest reliability among older people dependent in activities of daily living and living in residential care facilities. The pediatric balance scale pbs is a 14 item measure of functional balance for children, ages 2 to years. Apr 01, 2008 the original berg balance scale, given the range of scoreswas not intended to be a dichotomous score. It assesses static and dynamic components of sitting and standing activities in multiple planes. It is a 14 item list with each item consisting of a fivepoint ordinal scale ranging from 0 to 4, with 0 indicating the lowest level of function and 4 the highest level of function and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Examiner places a ruler at the end of fingertips when arm is at 90 degrees. This website is powered by the sportsengine platform, but is owned by and subject to the physical therapy haven privacy policy.
Concurrent validity of the berg balance scale and the dynamic. The berg balance scale bbs was developed in 1989 to provide clinicians with a standardized measurement tool to assess balance in elderly individuals. Both projects determined bbs performance, selfselected gait speed, and gaitaid use in samples of communitydwelling. The wberg balance scale consists of 14 items, each corresponding to a balance related task. Sep 30, 2014 famous physical therapists bob schrupp and brad heineck provide an interpretation of the results of the berg balance scale berg balance test. Louis school of medicine and ut southwestern medical center. The pediatric balance scale pbs, a modification of berg s balance scale, was developed as a balance measure for schoolage children with mild to moderate motor impairments. May 01, 2008 berg balance scale scores predicted length of stay, discharge destination, motor ability at 180 days poststroke, and disability level at 90 days, but these scores were not predictive of falls. The berg balance scale bbs is a 14item objective measure designed to assess static balance and fall risk in adult populations. Use of the berg balance scale to predict independent gait. Berg balance scale the berg balance scale bbs was developed to measure balance among older people with impairment in balance function by assessing the performance of functional tasks.
Begin the test with the subject sitting correctly in a chair with arms, the subjects. It is a valid instrument used for evaluation of the effectiveness of interventions and for quantitative descriptions of function in clinical practice and research. According to the berg balance scale bbs, client is a medium falls risk overall score 34. The following is a complete list of items required for administration of this tool. The berg balance scale score of healthy people aged 70 years and older can be estimated by the formula.
The berg balance scale summary the berg balance scale was developed in 1989 to measure balance in the elderly. Threshold berg balance scale scores for gaitaid use in. Berg balance scale an overview sciencedirect topics. The berg is a validated balance assessment which has been shown to be a reliable predictor of fall risk.
The berg balance scale was originally published in 1989 in the journal physiotherapy canada. Berg balance scale definition of berg balance scale by. Total scores range from 0 severely impaired balance to 56 excellent balance. The choice, of which leg stand on or how far to reach, is left to the. A summary of the purpose, procedure and current research related to the berg balance scale bbs for persons with spinal cord injury. Progressively, more points are deducted if the time or. Berg has suggested that for older persons the balance scale is an appropriate screening tool with respect to functional balance, is predictive of future dysfunction, is sensitive to changes in functional balance skills, and may be used to monitor a patients status over time.
Standardized tests and measures for balance berg balance scale. Berg balance scale continued reaching forward with outstretched arm while standing instructions. It was a misinterpretation of the original validation paper. It was developed through modifications of the berg balance scale to identify children who lack appropriate functional balance and thus may be at risk for developmental delay and injury. Jun 19, 20 the berg balance scale bbs is a 14item objective measure designed to assess static balance and fall risk in adult populations. Berg, 19891 14 people with balance impairment range. Efficacy of wiifit on static and dynamic balance in community dwelling older veterans. If a subject is able to stand 2 minutes unsupported, score full points for sitting unsupported.
Oct 08, 20 stay active at home strength and balance exercises for older adults duration. Narrative summary of findings heres an example of how you might document the above findings. The pediatric balance scale was designed to require minimal use of specialized equipment. A comparison of clinical and laboratory measures of postural balance in an elderly population. Below the calculator there is more information on the activities in the assessment and how they should be scored. Several items require the child to maintain a given position for a specific time. Berg balance scale bbs spinal cord injury research. The berg balance scale bbs is a 14item objective measure.
Usefulness of the berg balance scale in stroke rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to determine the testretest and interrater reliability of the pbs. Appraisal clinimetrics the berg balance scale summary the berg balance scale was developed in 1989 to measure balance in the elderly. Balance evaluation systems test subjects should be tested with flat heeled shoes or shoes and socks off. For functional balance tests, the bbs is generally considered to be the gold standard. It doesnt make much sense statistically or clinically to take a robust picture of a gradient of fall risk and dilute it down to yes or no or black or white. Stretch out your fingers and reach forward as far as you can. Berg balance scale assesses risk of fall and balance impairment in elderly frail patients with static and dynamic tasks. If subject must use an assistive device for an item, score that item one category lower. It was developed to measure balance among older people with impairment in balance function by assessing the performance of functional tasks. The berg balance scale is used to objectively determine a patients ability or inability to safely balance during a series of predetermined tasks.
I the berg balance scale bbs is a 14item scale designed to measure balance of the older adult in a clinical setting. The bbs is a 14 item scale that challenges individuals balance in a variety of functional positions. Katherine berg developed this test to assess the level of function and balance in various patient populations. Mar 29, 2006 correlation between the scores on the dynamic gait index and the berg balance scale was moderate but significant by use of the spearman rank order correlation r 0. Adapted from berg k, wooddauphinee s, williams ji, gayton d. A change of 4 points is needed to be 95% confident that true change has occurred if a patient scores within 4556 initially, 5 points if they score within 3544, 7 points if they score within 2534 and, finally, 5 points if their initial score is within 024 on the berg balance scale. Fingers should not touch the ruler while reaching forward.
This project is supported in part by the nih specialized programs of translational research in acute stroke spotrias network, and ninds grant 3p50ns055977 to washington university in st. Berg balance scale rehabmeasures database abilitylab. Relationship between mean age and mean berg balance scale bbs score in healthy, communitydwelling elderly people. To examine whether the berg balance scale bbs score on admission and after 1 month can be used to predict the functional independence measure fim walking level 6 or 7 modified independent and independent gait respectively after 3 months and to determine the optimal bbs cut. Interpretation of individual test item results on the berg balance scale bbs item possible impairment recommended exercise 1. Ruler, 2 standard chairs one with arm rests, one without footstool or step, stopwatch or wristwatch, 15 ft walkway. Results for berg balance scale 1 10 of 422 sorted by relevance date. Relationships among the y balance test, berg balance scale. Below the form there is in depth information about the items in the assessments, their application instructions and the score interpretation. The minimum detectable change of the berg balance scale in elderly people.
The activitiesspecific balance confidence abc scale patient name. The berg balance scale grades execution on 14 different tasks, utilizing a scale of five points ranging from 0 to 4. The berg balance scale or bbs is a widely used clinical test of a persons static and dynamic balance abilities, named after katherine berg, one of the developers. University of missouri, school of health professions, department of physical therapy. A secondary analysis of data combined from two projects was performed. If person is able to stand 2 minutes safely, score full points for sitting unsupported item 3. To determine the threshold berg balance scale bbs scores that discriminate among levels of gaitaid use in elderly subjects. This berg balance scale calculator is used to evaluate and monitor balance in elderly frail patients and to predict fall risk with static and dynamic activities. Click export csv or ris to download the entire page or use the checkboxes to select a subset of records to download. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of the y balance test ybt and lower limb strength to discriminate between females in 2 age groups, the relationship between ybt distance and the berg balance scale bbs, and the degree to which performance on ybt distance is related to lower limb strength in middleaged and older females. The primary efficacy outcome was the berg balance scale bbs, which assesses balance impairments in older adults and is a good measure of static and dynamic stability 18.