Kinetisense Newsletter
November 2023
Expand Your Clinic
What role can Kinetisense play?
Expand the walls of your clinic with Kinetisense through concussion baseline testing in your community. Concussions are one of the most extensively discussed issues in sports today, and baseline testing is an important tool that can aid health care practitioners in concussion treatment.
With the ability to collect data in seconds and assess up to 50 athletes in less than an hour, Kinetisense can help you increase clinic revenue and make a positive impact on local athletes in your community.
How does concussion baseline testing with Kinetisense work?
Kinetisense offers balance assessments that follow the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) protocol. These include double-leg, tandem, and single-leg balance assessments. In each protocol position, the total amount of tilt and sway in all 3 planes (frontal, sagittal, and transverse) is measured in order to produce a score. Once a baseline assessment is completed and an athlete’s current/normal balance scores are known, they can be compared to the athlete’s post-injury scores to determine if any balance deficits are present. Following additional treatment and recovery, the athlete can then be reassessed to determine if they are able to safely return to play. Without having objective and up to date baseline data to refer back to, this return to play decision can be much more difficult to make
Tip
For ease of use, create a workflow (as seen in the video below ). This will program the system to automatically switch from one balance assessment to the next in a quick and seamless manner. By including the posture module in the workflow, it is possible to detect postural abnormalities or assess a whiplash injury following a concussion.
Become a Differentiator in Your Community!
For more information check out our 3D Concussion White Paper
Importance of Assessing Risk of Fall
Falls are widely considered to be an increasingly serious public health problem. Globally, an estimated 684,000 fatal falls occur each year, with approximately 37.3 million falls severe enough to require medical attention also occurring each year (1). In addition to being a known cause of injury and death, falls are a contributing factor to reduced quality of life and financial strain on the healthcare system (1). The elderly population is at particular risk of being negatively affected by falls. In fact, falls and fall-related injuries such as hip fractures are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in elderly individuals (1, 2).
Balance and gait impairments in older individuals have been shown to contribute to an increased risk of falling (2). Much of the research in this area has focused on the many different parameters of gait and how changes to one or more parameters may alter fall risk. Walking speed and stride length are two parameters that have received considerable attention. Older individuals tend to walk more slowly and have a shorter stride length relative to younger individuals (3). Slower gait velocity in particular has been identified as an indicator of fall risk in this population (4, 5, 6). Shorter stride length has also been found to be linked with risk of fall, and can be used to differentiate between elderly fallers and non-fallers (7, 8).
Identifying older individuals who are at a greater risk of falling is a necessary first step when developing fall-prevention strategies. Unfortunately, many of the current methods of assessment are costly and cumbersome to use and suffer from a lack of reliability and objectivity. Unlike these other methods, Kinetisense provides an objective, efficient, and easy to use tool that can reproducibly analyze multiple gait parameters that have been found to be indicative of functionality and subsequently one’s risk of fall. Being able to accurately detect those who are more likely to fall will allow practitioners to determine if a patient requires intervention, and will ultimately aid in the prevention of injury, loss of quality of life, and possibly even death.
References
- World Health Organization. (2021, April 26). Falls. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/falls.
- Black S.E., Maki B.E., & Fernie G.R. (1993). Aging, imbalance and falls. In J.A. Sharpe & H.O. Barber (Eds.), The vestibulo-ocular reflex and vertigo (pp. 317-335). Raven Press.
- Tirosh, O., & Sparrow, W. A. (2004). Gait termination in young and older adults: Effects of stopping stimulus probability and stimulus delay. Gait & Posture, 19(3), 243–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0966-6362(03)00063-8
- Menant, J. C., Schoene, D., Sarofim, M., & Lord, S. R. (2014). Single and dual task tests of gait speed are equivalent in the prediction of falls in older people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Research Reviews, 16, 83–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2014.06.001
- Bergland, A., Jarnlo, G.-B., & Laake, K. (2003). Predictors of falls in the elderly by location. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 15(1), 43–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03324479
- Verghese, J., Holtzer, R., Lipton, R. B., & Wang, C. (2009). Quantitative gait markers and incident fall risk in older adults. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 64A(8), 896–901. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glp033
- MacAulay, R. K., Allaire, T. D., Brouillette, R. M., Foil, H. C., Bruce-Keller, A. J., Han, H., Johnson, W. D., & Keller, J. N. (2015). Longitudinal assessment of neuropsychological and temporal/spatial gait characteristics of elderly fallers: Taking it all in stride. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2015.00034
- Thaler-Kall, K., Peters, A., Thorand, B., Grill, E., Autenrieth, C. S., Horsch, A., & Meisinger, C. (2015). Description of spatio-temporal gait parameters in elderly people and their association with history of falls: Results of the population-based cross-sectional KORA-AGE study. BMC Geriatrics, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-015-0032-1
Correctives
Kinetisense introduces its 12 movement functional screen paired with corrective exercises. The assessment maps joints of dysfunction in 3 minutes and serves as an employee functional movement screen. The Functional Planar Mapping (FPM) tool uses Kinetisense’s proprietary algorithm to prioritize the regions of the body that require mobility or stability, internally providing correctives to address these dysfunctions. The patient app is linked directly to the assessment and the correctives selected by the practitioner can be sent to the participant directly. A patient corrective exercises compliance score sends automatic updates to the practitioner’s system.
To find out more, contact [email protected]
FAQ
How to Create a Custom Workflow
Creating a custom workflow is an excellent function Kinetisense offers which can help streamline your assessments, intakes and workflow. It allows you to customize and select the assessments you would like to have in that specific workflow, making it compatible with your needs based on how you utilize Kinetisense in your practice.
To create a workflow, login to your Kinetisense account on your device. On the homepage you will see “Workflows” with a green plus button on the right side of the screen. Select the green plus button, which will take you to a new screen.
From here, you can now name your workflow whatever you would like in the “Workflow name” box. You may now select any assessments that you would like to have in this workflow. It can be ROM, Posture, Balance, etc! The order you select the assessments is the order that they will be. For example, if you select neck rotation left first, balance both feet down eyes closed with foam second and then overhead squat third; this will be the order of the assessments in the workflow. Once you have selected all the assessment you wish to have in the desired order select “Save” at the bottom right of your screen. You will be immediately taken back to the home screen where you will be able to see your custom workflow under “Workflows.”
If you wish to use this workflow with a patient, simply select on the patient from the patient list, select “Add” to start a new assessment and scroll to the bottom of your assessment list where you will see it under “Workflows.” The great thing about creating this custom workflow is that you are able to use it with any patient! Having the assessments you selected compiled into one workflow also saves you time when completing assessments as you do not have to select each assessment individually.
Utilizing Voice Recognition for Assessments with Kinetisense
Voice recognition technology within Kinetisense offers a remarkable way to streamline assessments, empowering users with hands-free control of the application. This innovative feature can prove exceptionally beneficial in scenarios where you need to self-assess or provide assistance to a patient without the constraints of physical interaction with the device.
The process is straightforward. To begin, select the assessment you wish to perform and activate the microphone feature located conveniently in the upper right corner beside the gear icon. Once the microphone is enabled, you gain the ability to navigate and manage Kinetisense through the power of speech alone. After activating the microphone the icon will change to red to display that it is actively listening (shown in the screenshots below).
This includes control over functions such as calibration, start, stop, discard, and save, skip, done, and capture, all achievable through voice commands. However, it’s imperative to articulate your instructions clearly and ensure that your voice projection is sufficiently audible for the program to accurately recognize your commands.
Microphone OFF
Microphone ON
Unlocking Your Swing Potential: Range of Motion (ROM) Testing for Golfers
Golf is a sport that demands precision, control, and finesse. While a strong swing and a good eye for the game are essential, the range of motion (ROM) in your body plays a crucial role in achieving that perfect golf swing. Whether you’re a professional golfer or a weekend enthusiast, understanding and improving your ROM is essential for enhancing your golf performance. In this article, we’ll explore my five favorite ROM tests for golfers and how using the Kinetisense system can help assess and enhance these key areas.
Hip Internal Rotation
Hip internal rotation is a vital component of a golfer’s mobility, especially during the backswing phase. Proper hip internal rotation allows you to coil your body during the backswing, setting the stage for a powerful and controlled downswing.
Hip External Rotation
Conversely, hip external rotation is essential for the follow-through phase of your golf swing. Adequate hip external rotation allows for a smoother, balanced finish to your swing.
Shoulder Flexion
Shoulder flexion is crucial for establishing a comfortable and efficient address position. Adequate shoulder flexion ensures you can position your hands correctly on the club, which is vital for a consistent and controlled golf swing.
Back Rotation
Back rotation, particularly thoracic spine rotation, plays a significant role in creating torque during your golf swing. Improved back rotation helps you achieve a more extensive backswing, providing greater potential for clubhead speed and distance.
Shoulder External Rotation
Shoulder external rotation is vital for the follow-through phase of your golf swing. This test involves extending your arm straight out to your side at shoulder height and then externally rotating it. Good shoulder external rotation allows for a full and controlled follow-through, promoting accuracy and balance in your shot.
Range of Motion (ROM) Testing
Assessing your ROM is critical for golfers looking to enhance their game, and Kinetisense can be a game-changer in this regard. The Kinetisense system employs cutting-edge motion analysis technology to provide golfers with precise measurements of their ROM in various joints and body regions. It’s a non-invasive and highly accurate tool that can help golfers understand their bodies better and tailor their training and exercises to address specific limitations.
Kinetisense can create a comprehensive profile of your ROM, highlighting areas that need improvement. By leveraging this system, golfers can work with fitness and medical professionals to develop targeted exercises and stretches to enhance their ROM and, subsequently, their golf performance. With objective data from Kinetisense, golfers can set realistic goals and track their progress over time, ensuring a consistent and positive impact on their game.
Improving your ROM is essential for golfers looking to unlock their full potential on the course. The five favorite ROM tests for golfers – hip internal and external rotation, shoulder flexion, back rotation, and shoulder external rotation – are critical aspects of your swing that can make a substantial difference in your performance.
By utilizing the Kinetisense system, golfers can gain valuable insights into their ROM and tailor their training and exercises accordingly. With a better understanding of their bodies, golfers can work towards a more powerful, consistent, and accurate golf swing, taking their game to new heights. So, don’t underestimate the importance of ROM in golf, and start assessing and improving your range of motion today for a more satisfying and successful golf experience.
