DAYTON, Ohio – Dr. Kim Bigelow has been an associate professor at the University of Dayton for ten years.
- Ongoing research since 2009
- Group developed a quick study for patients in a doctor's office to determine fall risk
- Also studying multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy, and walkers
She's an associate professor and the director of UD'S Engineering Wellness Through Biomechanics Lab and works with undergraduate and graduate students on a regular basis.
“We work the Physical Therapy Department here to study how people walk, and move, and help improve the quality of their lives,” Bigelow told Spectrum News 1 inside her lab.
Over the last five years, Bigelow and her team have been working on various studies and tests to aid those who are at risk of falling. The group uses old-school methods with modern technology.
“Balance plates are tools that are used in the research community and we're taking that and trying to make it more useful in the clinic. So with that we need to know how should we test people. So individuals will stand on the plate, and stand as still as they can, and the sensors within the plate are able tell how still they really are standing. And if someone is swaying to much, or to fast, or to uncontrolled that's indicative that they're more likely to fall.”
A persons risk to falling can be traced to their vision, inner ears, and balance. Bigelow's team developed a quick test that can be administered in an doctor's office to provide remedies to reduce the risk of falling.
According to data from the National Council on Aging, 1 in 4 Americans aged 65 and older fall each year. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of non-fatal trauma-related hospital visits among older adults.
“We have individuals who think its normal to fall, and it's not. So yes, it might be that you missed a step on the stairs and you think that could happen to anyone... which is true. But, as you age, you also have those vision problems and the possibility that your muscles aren't quite as strong. And there are very easy interventions if we know that you have one of those problems that those falls can be prevented.”
Bigelow's lab doesn't just focus on elderly individuals, they're also studying how kickboxing could benefit individuals with multiple sclerosis. They've also looked into foot and leg braces of people who suffer from peripheral neuropathy.
“The way the brace is made it gives you some feedback higher up on your leg where you might still have some sensation. And that extra touch and feedback from the brace, we've shown actually improves balance.”
The biomechanical lab at UD has produced exceptional students, according to Bigelow. Four students in recent years have been awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship. A fifth student was given Honorable Mention.
Bigelow's work as been published in the Journal of Prosthetics and Orthotics, the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy, and the Journal of Applications and Practices in Engineering Education, among others.