Researchers are experimenting a new way to prevent the elderly from falling by doing just that: making them fall.
University of Illinois researchers are trying a new approach to prevent falls by having seniors walk on customized treadmills that causes them to unexpectedly trip, according to The Associated Press.
Clive Pai, a physical therapy professor who is conducting the research, calls the study's method a "vaccine against falls."
The experiment is based on building subconscious learning.
"This is all implicit learning. We don't give any instruction. They don't have to be motivated - they're naturally motivated because they don't want to be on the floor," Pai said.
Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injury for seniors and cost $30 billion a year to treat, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Scientists tried the experiment with 81-year-old Mary Kaye. Little sensors in her arms and legs allowed her movements to be tracked and analyzed and she was also hooked to a harness that would keep her from falling if she needed help.
While on the walkway, Kaye stumbled a few times when the walkway slid but she kept her balance. Then Kaye went on a treadmill that was interrupted by sudden skips. She stumbled but still managed not to fall. According to Pai, Kaye's previous study training may have helped her from falling the second time around.
Pai's first experiment in June found that 24 similar trips in a single walkway session taught older adults to catch themselves from falling in and out of the lab by 50 percent up to a year later, according to AP.
Now the National Institute on Aging has offered Pai a $1 million, five-year grant to study and develop the treadmill system. Pai plans to enroll 300 participants in the next five years, AP reported.
While conventional efforts to combat falls include boosting strength and balance, improving range of motion and strengthening certain muscles, Pai said they require multiple session to even be effective.
If the study comes back positive, specially designed treadmills could be placed in doctors' offices, physical therapy centers and clinics to train people how to not fall, according to AP.
"We don't want people to learn the hard way," Dr. Basil Eldadah of the National Institute of Aging told AP.
