Postural balance by the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mni-BESTest): Improvement of leprosy care

Abstract

Introduction: Hansen´s disease is a chronic infectious and contagious illness that can cause decreased physical sensitivity and
motor changes. The Mini-BESTest is an instrument for the clinical assessment of body balance. Objective: We propose to evaluate
the performance of the Mini-BESTest regarding dynamic balance in people with Hansen´s disease in the following subsystems: anticipatory postural adjustment, reactive postural responses, sensory orientation and gait stability. Methods: The Simplified Neurological Assessment (SNA) was used to classify the presence or absence of disability, and the Mini-BESTest scores related to the
total points per subsystem was applied to 54 SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System) users. Results: By way of univariate analysis
it was found that older ages had lower scores. The multivariate analysis indicated that the SNA is important in explaining the scores
controlling for sex and age, where lower scores occur among people with disabilities in the four subsystems. Conclusions: The
Mini-BESTest indicates a decrease in the dynamic balance among people with Hansen´s disease, with physical disability, its use
can guide the clinical practice of the physiotherapist. otential applicability: The Mini-BESTest, a cheap method that is easy and
quick to apply, is capable of contributing to the improvement of care for Hansen’s disease.