Berg Balance Scale
By: Destiny Boneta
What does BBS measure?
The Berg balance scale is used to objectively determine a patient's ability (or inability) to safely
balance during a series of predetermined tasks. It is a 14 item list with each item consisting of a
five-point ordinal scale ranging from 0 to 4, with 0 indicating the lowest level of function and 4 the
highest level of function and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. It does not include the
assessment of gait.
Intended population
Osteoarthritis
Vestibular disorders
Brain injury
Stroke
Limb loss and amputation
PD
Alzheimer’s disease and
SCI progressive dementia
Intellectual disability
Pulmonary disease
Elder adults and geriatric
care
Why perform BBS?
The berg balance scale can test the patient to see if they can safely balance during a series of predetermined
tasks. Depending on the patients score, we can determine whether they can safely balance during the tasks.
If patients scores are low, they are considered high falls risk.
When do you perform BBS?
● During your initial evaluation.
● During Re-evaluation
● Progress notes
● Discharge- to make sure they have met their STGs before discharging them home or to any facility.
Berg balance scale Scores:
● A score of 56 indicates functional balance.
● A score of < 45 indicates individuals may be
at greater risk of falling.
Equipment It has been reported more recently that in the
elderly population a change of 4 points is
● Ruler needed to be 95% confident that true change
● 2 standard chairs (one w/arm rests, one w/o) has occurred if a patient scores within 45–56
● Footstool or step initially, 5 points if they score within 35–44, 7
● 15ft walkway points if they score within 25–34 and, finally, 5
● Stopwatch or wristwatch points if their initial score is within 0–24 on the
Berg Balance Scale
Key descriptions
Items include static and dynamic activities of Time to administer is 15-20 mins
varying difficulty
Item level score ranges from 0-4, determined by
ability to perform the assessed activity
Item scores are then summed
Maximum score is 56
Considerations
● May be better suited for use with acute ● In SCI patients, scores are not associated with
stroke patients because the majority of these the number of falls and not able to
patients are not able to obtain the measures discriminate fallers from non-fallers.
● May have limited utility in middle-age PD
maximum scores at rehab admission.
(Hoehn and Yahr stage 2-3) due to ceiling
● No common interpretation of BBS scores effects.
currently exists. ● Pd patients in hoehn and yahr stages 4-5
● May take longer than other balance would be unable to complete the test since
measures to administer. an AD cannot be utilized during testing; for
vestibular function, the BBS may not be the
● Declines in performance with increasing age
best measure to identify individuals at risk
observed in both and women. for falling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AAYyXg1iiw
https://neuropt.org/docs/default-source/cpgs/core-
outcome-measures/core-outcome-measures-docu
ments-july-2018/berg_protocol_final.pdf?sfvrsn=39
cd5443_4#:~:text=a.,patient%20when%20performi
ng%20the%20BBS.&text=If%20the%20patient%20c
annot%20perform,will%20be%20scored%20a%200.
References
● Berg balance scale. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2021, from
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Berg_Balance_Scale
● Berg balance scale. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2021, from
https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/berg-balance-scale
