square balance board

The square balance board is an excellent aid to helping our patients learn to have a more stable foundation for using the visual process to direct actions and to lock in on objects of regard while in movement. Too many people, when moving through space, initiate those movements far too high in the body and this causes them to become out of balance at times, which increases the probability of a fall or decreased overall performance. By learning to make movements in the lower triangle of the body (reference to the body as three triangles from both Darell Boyd Harman and Elliott Forrest) while allowing the upper body to remain at rest, is a very important part of moving efficiently and staying safe throughout life. We want our patient to learn to move the lower triangle free of the rest of the body. Many patients have never developed the ability to move the body below the hips without moving the entire body.

Most patients can begin standing on the board with the small base. Some may benefit from feeling the movement without the load of gravity and will get much from first doing this on the floor.

This is not about achieving a static balance. This is about achieving balanced independent movement. Work with static balance runs the risk of embedding bodily asymmetries by learning to come to a static balance with those in place.

Dr. Harris demonstrates the use of the Square Balance Board, which sets the stage for the person to be able to move through space in many situations while providing a stable base for the visual process. Movements which are nearly exclusively in the lower triangle of the body allow this to happen more effectively and more efficiently.

Make Your Own - 3 Types

Side to Side - Small Base - Large Base

For ***side-to-side*** movement only. Base is 12” by 18” wide, with a 1.5” square block 11” long affixed to the bottom of the platform.

Here Dr. Harris demonstrates the use of the balance board, with the patient laying on the floor. This setup helps to reduce or nearly eliminate movement in the upper parts of the body, setting the stage for the patient to experience the movements in the lower triangle of the body fundamental to many movements in space when vertical. This sets the stage for stabilizing the body as the person moves through their world.

This one is square with a ***small base*** underneath. The small blocks makes movement easy and keeping it level a bit of a challenge. The platform is 16” by 16” with a 3.5” by 3.5” block that is 1.5” tall underneath.

A note about lumber dimensions:

The term “nominal size” relates to what we call the size of the lumber but in the present day, the actual size is smaller. When we say 2x4 (two by four) it is not really 2 inches by 4 inches but is actually 1.5” by 3.5” or 38mm by 90mm. A 2x6 (two by six) is actually 1.5? by 5.5” or 38mm by 140mm.

This view shows the two different fulcrum sizes. Begin with the smaller one, which is easier to put into movement. Once it is being done with the lower triangle, switch to the larger fulcrum to increase the burner setting.