Effects of Feet and Ankle Mobilization on Balance of Older Adults

NCT ID: NCT03092869

Last Updated: 2018-06-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 29 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-04-03
• Study Completion Date: 2017-09-02

Brief Summary

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.

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.

Conditions

Aging Problems

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Experimental Group

Feet and Ankle Mobilization

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Feet and Ankle Mobilization

Intervention Type: OTHER

A set of manual therapy mobilization in feet and ankle joints

Proprioceptive Training

Intervention Type: OTHER

A set of proprioceptive exercises oriented to improve balance abilities

Control Group

Proprioceptive Training

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Proprioceptive Training

Intervention Type: OTHER

A set of proprioceptive exercises oriented to improve balance abilities

Interventions

Feet and Ankle Mobilization

A set of manual therapy mobilization in feet and ankle joints

Intervention Type: OTHER

Proprioceptive Training

A set of proprioceptive exercises oriented to improve balance abilities

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Old adults over 60 years

Exclusion Criteria

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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Valencia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

David Hernández

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

David Hernández, PT

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Valencia

Locations

Universidad de Valencia

Valencia, , Spain

University of Valencia

Valencia, , Spain

Countries

Spain

Other Identifiers

DHG01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id