23/10/2025
Can you beat Beverly?
Balance testing is a crucial component of any assessments, particularly for individuals recovering from injury, surgery, managing neurological or even age-related conditions, a bit like young 89year Beverly, seen here in the images and test results, as she strives to keep up with her much older 90year old husband Keith.
Beverly is just showing us how she does her exercises, seated to stand and lift your hands and a single leg stance all part of her morning ritual .
Effective balance is essential for performing daily activities that include catching up with friends at the garden club, at the Whittlesea show or simply grabbing a coffee with friends and doing all of this safely, as we stive to help prevent falls.
There are variety of standardized tests clinicians use to evaluate a patient’s static and dynamic balance capabilities. Common balance assessments include the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Functional Reach Test, but most of these are known as subjective measures.
Clinically we want an objective measure, that means a measure that is both reliable and repeatable, even in 6 months or even a years time after an event and know that the data is captured in the same way with same accuracy.
For this reason, we use technology to measure balance, a pressure mat known as a MobileMat, and we measure your gait, weight distribution per limb, per section of your feet and its all done safely and carefully in a very short period of time with reliable and repeatable subjective device.
But what about all these measures and assessments, how do they help you to improve your gait and or your balance?
Once we have a measure we are then able to better understand what your risks or limits might be, then we can start looking at what type of footwear best suits you, what type of soling or even what type of footwear modification can help to improve your safe mobility, that might be a sole build-up, a toe skate or even a buttress, but we wont know until we complete the assessment and share that data collection with you.
So back to the original question, can you beat Beverly?
Bev has a balance eyes open 10.88cm over 8 seconds and 13.88cm eyes closed. Just for the record 10cm to 12cm over 8 seconds is considered within the healthy range.
So if you have had a recent fall, a bit of a scary moment or recent hip or knee replacement, phone Rebekah on 9465 0880 and book an appointment and lets see what we can do for you.
Bilby shoes are a recognised provider HCP, NDIS, TAC, DVA and pretty much anyone else you can think of.