Balance Baseline is building a national database of normative postural sway data for athletes from all sporting codes.

There is substantial individual variability in balance, even among athletes of the same sex and in the same sport. For this reason an individual 'balance baseline' is necessary for every athlete against which the impact of a concussion can be measured.

The facts

Postural sway as a concussion indicator

  • Impaired postural control is a sign of a concussion, and postural sway can be used to assess the presence of a concussion and to monitor recovery.
  • Instrumented balance assessments have shown to be more reliable in detecting postural sway.

Postural sway in people with a history of concussions

People with a history of concussions have higher postural sway than people without a history of concussions.

Balance error scoring system (BESS)

The BESS is a simple assessment that can be used to evaluate postural stability in concussed athletes. The BESS Balance Mat comprises three 20-second balance tests with the person's eyes closed in three stances

  • Normal stance
  • Tandem stance
  • One-legged, dominant-foot stance.

For details click here. https://balancemat.com.au/bess-balance-mat

Balance Baseline is building a national database of normative data for athletes from all sporting codes. This database is in the form of three separate dynamic graphs for the three stances.

Once you have been tested on the BESS Balance Mat enter your patient code below to see how you compare to the norm.

Patient Code