Effects of Feet and Ankle Mobilization on Balance of Older Adults (FEET_BALANCE)

University of Valencia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aging Problems

Treatments: Other: Feet and Ankle Mobilization; Other: Proprioceptive Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03092869

DHG01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study aims to assess whether mobilization of the ankle and foot produces significant improvements in the balance of the elderly.

To this end, a randomized study was designed with a control group that performs proprioception exercises and an experimental group that also performs a mobilization of the ankle and foot joints.

Full description

Aging leads to a decrease in physical activity and a reduction of postural control, which implies a loss of balance control, both static and dynamic, thus compromising the autonomy of the elderly and increasing the risk of suffering a fall. It has been observed that the balance degenerates in an accelerated way from 60 years of age. Basically appears a natural physiological degeneration of the organism, which affects strength, range of mobility, reduces vestibular function, there is loss vision and lower cardiopulmonary capacity.

In the older adult who suffers falls, in relation to the one who does not suffer, a series of differences or determinants have been observed. In this group, a series of characteristics such as the lower flexibility of the ankle joint and the muscle-tendon complex are present, hallux valgus appears, lower foot tenderness or a decrease in the strength in the first plantar flexor finger. They appear to have poorer balance and have less force in the flexors of the soles accompanied by less mobility of the foot inversion-eversion.

One of the causes that seems to contribute in the decrease of the balance in the older adult are the alterations in the ankle and foot, besides supposing a worse capacity of adaptation to the possible environmental changes. Before a deficit of this type, the subject tends to compensate for his position with compensatory strategies in other joints of the lower limb. It has also been shown that as we grow older, there is an increase in the demand for articulation of the other joints, such as the hip and knee, secondary to a decrease in joint range of ankle and foot or weakness of the dorsal flexors of the foot.

It follows that there is a relationship between alterations in the ankle and foot and the balance in the elderly, all related to the forces that suffer the ankle in the gait and to the low normal activity. Any alteration in this joint could predetermine an alteration of its function in maintaining stability in the elderly.

Enrollment: 29 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Old adults over 60 years

Exclusion criteria

• Subjects with balance disorders whether vestibular or central.
• Subjects with lower limb prosthesis.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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29 participants in 2 patient groups

Experimental Group

Experimental group

Description:

Feet and Ankle Mobilization

Treatment:

Other: Feet and Ankle Mobilization

Other: Proprioceptive Training

Control Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Proprioceptive Training

Treatment:

Other: Proprioceptive Training