Berg Balance Testing

Excerpt

The Berg Balance Scale is a test used to assess functional balance. It was created by Katherine Berg in 1989 to evaluate balance ability in the elderly, with the initial target population having an average age of 73. It evaluates both dynamic and static balance through 14 tasks regarding mobility. In the beginning, it was mostly used to assess stroke patients; however, this test has shown high validity and reliability in various patient populations, including neurological conditions such as Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and acquired conditions as lower extremity amputees.

The scale has been useful in predicting the risk of falls and outcomes and even assessing the length of stay at inpatient rehabilitation. It is a short test that can be performed relatively quickly under different environments.