Balance

Balance is the ability to keep or recover the body's position and orientation, whether standing still or moving. It depends on integrating sensory information with muscle activity and movement.

Vestibular system: The inner-ear system that detects head motion and orientation relative to gravity. Its signals reveal head movement and tilt that require postural adjustment.
Center of mass: The point representing the average position of an object's mass. Postural stability depends partly on keeping this point within a controllable range.
Berg Balance Scale: A clinical assessment that scores performance on 14 functional balance tasks. It measures abilities such as transfers, reaching, and standing during rehabilitation.
Equilibrium: A state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced. Physical equilibrium describes forces, while bodily balance also involves active control.
Proprioception: The sense of body position and movement derived from receptors in muscles, tendons, and joints. It reports limb and joint positions without relying on vision.
Base of support: The area beneath an object or body that includes its points of contact with a supporting surface. Widening the contact area can make standing more stable.
Romberg test: A clinical test of standing stability performed with the feet together and eyes open, then closed. Closing the eyes reveals how strongly stability depends on visual input.
Coordination: The organized timing and sequencing of movements across body parts. Coordination supports movement, but does not specifically mean maintaining posture.
Visual system: The sensory system that detects light and provides information about the environment. Visual cues help estimate body sway and orientation relative to surroundings.
Gravity: The attraction between masses, which gives objects weight near Earth's surface. Gravity continually pulls the body away from an upright posture.

Linked from 15 pages