A Comparative Study between One Arm and Two Arm Functional Reach Test in Children with Balance Impairment

The purpose of this study was to compare one arm with two arm functional reach test, thereby finding out the more challenging balance test among them in children with balance impairment. Since studies on typically developing youth has shown that one arm and two arm reach methods are correlated. Thus, further studies are needed to examine the validity of whether the two arm Functional reach test is more challenging balance test in children with balance impairment.

Thirty subjects of age group 3–9 years with balance impairment (TUG score > 13 secs) living in a community were recruited for the study. All the subjects then undergo the One Arm and Two Arm Functional Reach Test. Then the reach values were calculated by both toe to finger and finger to finger method, thus resulting in a total of four measurements. Then a comparative study was done among all these measurements.

Thus when we correlate the four measurements of FRT (1AFF, 2AFF, 1ATF, 2ATF) with the TUG, we found that the “r” value of two arm is more as compared to the “r” value of one arm. Thus proving the hypothesis that two arm FRT is more challenging than one arm FRT in children with balance impairment.

Both one arm and two arm functional reach test helps us to assess the balance in children, however two arm FRT was found to be more challenging balance test than one arm FRT in children with balance impairment. Thus, we can modify the commonly use one arm FRT by two arm FRT for assessing the balance more effectively in our clinical routine.

TUG = Timed Up and Go Test, FRT = Functional Reach Test, 1AFF = One arm finger finger, 2AFF = Two arm finger finger, 1ATF = One arm toe finger, 2ATF = Two arm toe finger