The Concept of Balance

Abstract

This article discusses the importance of defining balance and other concepts relevant to physiotherapy for the development of the profession. It addresses the following factors, using the concept of balance as an example: identification of physiotherapy problems, the need to anchor generally accepted constitutively and operationally defined concepts to these problems, and the need to formulate new physiotherapy theories and develop clinical and laboratory tests based on recent knowledge. The difference between constitutive and operational definitions of concepts is explained as well as the division of the balance into static and dynamic. The idea of balance as an umbrella concept and the variety of motor skills included in it is introduced together with a rough scale to assess them. Past and present theories on balance are mentioned and the importance of conveying the newly gained physiotherapy knowledge as fast as possible to clinical physiotherapists is emphasised. This article discusses the importance of defining balance and other concepts relevant to physiotherapy for the development of the profession. It addresses the following factors, using the concept of balance as an example: identification of physiotherapy problems, the need to anchor generally accepted constitutively and operationally defined concepts to these problems, and the need to formulate new physiotherapy theories and develop clinical and laboratory tests based on recent knowledge. The difference between constitutive and operational definitions of concepts is explained as well as the division of the balance into static and dynamic. The idea of balance as an umbrella concept and the variety of motor skills included in it is introduced together with a rough scale to assess them. Past and present theories on balance are mentioned and the importance of conveying the newly gained physiotherapy knowledge as fast as possible to clinical physiotherapists is emphasised.