Narrow Stance:
- Patient stands barefoot with the arms crossed in front of the chest & hands touching the shoulders. The feet are placed together so that the ankles touch each other
- The examiner instructs the patient to hold this position for 30 seconds
- To progress, the test is performed on a foam mat with the eyes open and closed
Positive Outcome: The patient is unable to maintain the position for 30 seconds or portrays large increases in sway, slower responses to correct sway rigidity to prevent sway
Tandem Stance:
- Patient stands barefoot with the feet placed one in front of the other, the arms crossed in front of the chest & hands touching the shoulders
- The examiner instructs the patient to hold this position for 30 seconds
- To progress, the test is performed with the eyes closed
Positive Outcome: The patient is unable to maintain the position for 30 seconds or portrays large increases in sway, slower responses to correct sway or rigidity to prevent sway
Single Leg Stance:
- Patient stands barefoot on one leg, with the other leg flexed and not touching the stance leg
- The examiner instructs the patient to hold this position for 30 seconds
- To progress, the test is performed with the eyes closed
Positive Outcome: The patient is unable to maintain the position for 30 seconds or portrays large increases in sway, slower responses to correct sway or rigidity to prevent sway
| Study | Reliability | Sn | Sp | LR+ | LR- |
| Treleaven et al. (2005) | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Comment: Healthy subjects under 45 years should be able to complete single leg stance tests for up to 30 seconds | |||||