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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Aging Problems
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Feet and Ankle Mobilization; Other: Proprioceptive Training

Detailed 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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 29
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Valencia, Spain, 46010
    • University of Valencia
  • Valencia, Spain, 46010
    • Universidad de Valencia

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Old adults over 60 years

Exclusion Criteria:

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group; Feet and Ankle Mobilization	Other: Feet and Ankle Mobilization; A set of manual therapy mobilization in feet and ankle joints; Other: Proprioceptive Training; A set of proprioceptive exercises oriented to improve balance abilities
Active Comparator: Control Group; Proprioceptive Training	Other: Proprioceptive Training; A set of proprioceptive exercises oriented to improve balance abilities

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Berg Balance Scale	This is a 14 item scale used to assess the overall state of balance of the oder adult	Change from baseline to end of intervention (one month)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Test Up and Go	It uses the time that a person takes to rise from a chair, walk three meters, turn around, walk back to the chair, and sit down.	Change from baseline to end of intervention (one month)
Pressure Platform Outcome	Romberg test. Static balance when standing in the platform in a static position without moving the feet during 30 seconds	Change from baseline to end of intervention (one month)
Range of Movement	Flexion-extension range of movement of the ankle joint	Change from baseline to end of intervention (one month)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Valencia
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: David Hernández, PT, University of Valencia

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 3, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): September 2, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 22, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 22, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): March 28, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 8, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 7, 2018
• Last Verified: June 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Balance; Ankle; Manual Therapy; Feet; Older Adult
• Other Study ID Numbers: DHG01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No