Yearly Archives: 2014


Balancing act: calf muscles and standing balance

Similar to a pencil balanced on a finger tip, the standing human body is inherently unstable (Loram & Lakie, 2002). The vertical projection of the body’s center of mass passes in front of the ankle when we stand, which means active plantar flexion of the ankle is required to maintain […]


Should we train proprioception in people with knee osteoarthritis?

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful condition that can substantially interfere with peoples’ daily activities. It will affect one in two people over their lifetime and is more likely in people who are overweight (Murphy et al., 2008). In light of the existing literature regarding joint function in people with […]


Older people really do have ‘jerkier’ movements

Up to one in three people over 65 fall each year (Masud & Morris, 2001) and many older people have impaired dynamic stability. However, a cause and effect relationship between gait speed, step variability, dynamic stability, and falls is complex. For example, older people may walk more slowly to compensate […]

Accelerometers used to measure head jerk.

Fatigue-Related Pain From Distal Muscles Reduces Central Motor Drive Of Proximal Muscles Of The Same Limb

Understanding the mechanisms of fatigue provides insight into the limits of human exercise performance and diseases in which fatigue is a symptom that limits activity. Both peripheral and central mechanisms contribute to muscle fatigue. Central fatigue is defined as a progressive exercise-induced reduction in the ability to voluntarily activate a […]