Clinical Measurement of Postural Control in Adults

Abstract

Postural control is the ability to maintain equilibrium and orientation in a gravitational environment. Effective approaches for clinical measurement of postural control remain to be developed. This article summarizes important neurophysiological and clinical considerations for developing measurement tools to assess postural control in adults. The postural control system is divided into three basic functional components for assessment: 1) biomechanical components, 2) motor coordination components, and 3) sensory organization components.