Effects of a vestibular physiotherapy protocol on adults with intellectual disability in the prevention of falls: A multi-centre clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Balance alterations are one of the main problems in people with intellectual disabilities (ID), increasing their risk of falls and impacting their life.

AIMS: To describe a vestibular rehabilitation programme (VRP) and evaluate its effects on the ability to maintain balance and risk of suffering a fall.

METHODS: Forty-seven adults with mild to moderate ID were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group (CG, N = 24), which performed a general physical exercise only, and an experimental group (EG, N = 23) which also completed a VRP. The variables, used pre- and post-training and 1 month after the intervention, were as follows: Center of Pressure Displacement, Berg Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, and the Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance.

RESULTS: The EG improved significantly in each variable. The CG did not show changes for any of the parameters.

CONCLUSIONS: A programme based on VRP may improve balance and reduce the risk of falling.