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Updated: May 20, 2026
07:19
A Modified Lean and Release Technique to Emphasize Response Inhibition and Action Selection in Reactive Balance
Published on: March 19, 2020
Dynamic balance adaptations in response to bound arm walking.
Paige F Paulus1, Bradley Moore2, Paul Hammond3
1Northwestern University, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 680 N Lake Shore Dr Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Journal of Biomechanics
|May 18, 2026
Summary
Unilateral arm binding increases instability during walking perturbations in healthy individuals. This highlights the need to assess gait and balance before restricting arm movement with bracing.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Science
- Gait Analysis
Background:
- Asymmetrical arm swing from bracing or limb loss increases fall risk.
- Falls during walking are a major cause of injury.
- Previous studies linked bilateral arm binding to poorer stability; unilateral effects were unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of unilateral arm binding on reactive balance during walking perturbations.
- To compare balance recovery strategies with and without arm binding in healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- Ten healthy individuals walked on an instrumented treadmill.
- Kinematic and electromyography (EMG) data were collected during steady-state and perturbed walking.
- Conditions included non-dominant arm bound and unbound.
Main Results:
- Arm binding increased whole-body transverse plane angular momentum range during steady-state and perturbed walking.
- Deltoid muscle activation on the bound arm decreased during both walking conditions.
- Unilateral arm binding altered reactive balance strategies.
Conclusions:
- Unilateral arm binding affects dynamic balance control during walking perturbations.
- Clinicians should screen for underlying conditions impacting gait and balance before prescribing unilateral upper limb bracing or casting.
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