Examining the Effect of Exercise Interventions on Balance and Fall Prevention in the Elderly: A Systematic Review

Background and purpose : With the growing elderly population worldwide, their associated problems are also increasing. Falls and their consequent outcomes are considered major health issues for the elderly, and imbalance is undoubtedly recognized as the primary cause of falls among the elderly. Materials and methods: The aim of this study was to search for articles published in scientific and research journals from 2000 to 2020 and to review studies related to physical and exercise interventions aimed at improving balance and reducing the risk of falls in the elderly. Keywords such as elderly, older adults, aging, exercise, and falling were used to review the literature in electronic databases such as PubMed, Embase, Medline, SID, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Results: A total of 190 articles were identified through the preliminary database search. One hundred studies were selected through title screening, and 90 of these records were excluded after abstract analysis. Of the remaining 50 articles, whose full texts were analyzed, 40 were excluded due to non-compliance with the inclusion criteria. Finally, 7 studies were identified as potentially relevant and met all the considered criteria. Conclusion: It appears that the use of various exercise methods specifically designed for the elderly, such as home-based protocols like Otago, vestibular exercises such as Cawthorne and Cooksey, fall-proof exercises, and other similar exercises mentioned in the present study, which specifically challenge balance in the elderly, can enhance their abilities and consequently reduce the risk of falls.