Eficácia dos exercícios físicos na redução do medo de cair em idosos

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate, through a literature review, the effectiveness of various types of exercise in reducing the fear of falling in the elderly. Methodology: A systematic review of controlled studies and / or randomized in Medline / PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, PEDRO from the first record until July 2012, descriptors being used both in English and in Portuguese and there was no restriction as to the date of publication of articles. Results: The search yielded a total of 120 articles, 80 articles were excluded but by reading the title or abstract. Of the 30 items were selected, 20 were repeated. Thus, 10 abstracts were selected for checking the full text. Three studies were excluded by performing exercises in patients with Parkinson's disease and stroke, and three studies were included from searching the references of articles previously selected. All items should be reduced as an outcome of fear of falling in the elderly. Thus were 9 articles included in this review intervention on fear of falling in elderly without pathologies.Conclusion: It is not possible to indicate which type of protocol is the best because each type of study used as sample elderly with different characteristics age, sex, and physical characteristics. It is possible to infer that studies using training as a treatment consisting of Tai chi chuan and interventions to change the perception of fear of falling had a more significant result.