What We Do

The U.S. population, on average, is getting older and larger. Both advanced age and increased body mass index increase the rate of falling. In this study, we tried to learn why. We found that, when presented with a slippery floor, older and bigger participants experienced similar slips, but were less able to recovery balance to avert a fall. As such, the increased rate of falling may be due to an impaired ability to recover balance after slipping.

The U.S. population, on average, is getting older and larger. Both advanced age and increased body mass index increase the rate of falling. In this study, we tried to learn why. We found that, when presented with a slippery floor, older and bigger participants experienced similar slips, but were less able to recovery balance to avert a fall. As such, the increased rate of falling may be due to an impaired ability to recover balance after slipping.

An estimated 60-80% of all adults experience low back pain at some point in their lifetime. Low back pain is related to the stability of your spine. In this study, we studied individuals with exercise-induced low back pain to help us learn how the presence of fatigue influences measures of spinal stability. We found differences in measures of spinal stability between healthy controls and these individuals when they weren't experiencing low back pain, and difference changes in spinal stability after exercise/pain.

Many older adults have have difficulty ambulating as easily as when they were younger. We investigated the underlying factors contributing to this mobility impairment, and found that insufficient hip range of motion and ankle strength are primary contributors.  As such, these impairments are attractive targets for intervention to improve mobility among older adults. We also used a finite element model of the femur (hip bone) to identify greater strains in the femur among older adults during gait that may indicate impairment in bone remodeling processes.

Develop Customized Assistive Devices

Texas A&M Philosophy professor, Dr. Jose Bermudez, regularly takes part in the Race Across America, a non-stop, 12-day, 3000 mile race from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD. During his last race, he experienced a condition called Shermer's neck when the neck muscles can no longer hold the head upright. This year, a team of students designed and fabricated a device to support Jose's head in the event that this condition struck again.