Effects of a 6-week intrinsic foot muscle exercise program on the functions of intrinsic foot muscle and dynamic balance in patients with chronic ankle instability

We aimed to evaluate the effects of a 6-week intrinsic foot muscle exercise program on the activation of intrinsic foot muscle movement and dynamic balance in adults with chronic ankle stability. A total of 30 adults with chronic ankle instability were recruited. The participants were randomly assigned to a group performing intrinsic foot muscle exercises and a control group doing no exercises. We measured the activation rate and dynamic balance of the abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis, flexor hallucis brevis, and quadratus plantae before and after the intervention. We found that the activation rate and dynamic balance significantly increased in all intrinsic foot muscles in the experimental group. These results suggest that intrinsic foot muscle exercise for patients with chronic ankle stability is an effective treatment for improving the functions and balance ability of the intrinsic foot muscles.

Clinical and radiological outcomes of corrective exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation in children with flexible flatfeet: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Flexible flatfeet are common among children being scarcely symptomatic requires no specific treatment and resolves spontaneously. However, flexible flatfoot tends to advance and deteriorate overtime and eventually resulting in significant impairments such as plantar fasciitis and patellofemoral pain syndrome.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What is the effect of corrective exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation in children with flexible flatfeet?

METHOD

This is a randomized controlled trial with 72 children, seven to twelve yearsold, randomly assigned to either intervention or control group (36 children for each group) and engaged in a four months (3 sessions/week) of corrective exercise and neuromuscular electrical stimulation or corrective exercise and sham neuromuscular electrical stimulation respectively. Assessments of Staheli's arch index (through foot print), navicular drop (through navicular drop test) and radiographic indexes (through anterior-posterior and medio-lateral X-ray) of both feet were performed before and after the intervention programs.

RESULTS

Study groups were comparable with respect to all outcome measures at entry (P > 0.05). Within group comparison showed significant improvements in all measured variables. Further, between groups comparison revealed significant higher improvements (P < 0.05) in right and left feet Staheli's arch index, navicular drop as well as the radiographic indexes in favor of the intervention group.

SIGNIFICANCE

Integration of corrective exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation is more effective than exercises alone for providing clinical and radiological improvements in children with flexible flatfeet.

Effects of short foot exercises with ultrasound bio-feedback on motor learning and foot alignment: A double blinded randomized control trial

BACKGROUND

Short foot exercises (SFE) take a long time to master and require a feedback tool to improve motor learning.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the effect of bio-feedback of talonavicular joint movements in learning SFE with ultrasound (US) imaging.

METHODS

This study included thirty-one healthy volunteers and was designed as a double-blind randomized control trial. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the control group, which performed SFE under verbal instruction, and the US bio-feedback (USBF) group, which performed SFE with real-time bio-feedback of the talonavicular joint alignment. All subjects underwent two sessions of 5 minutes each, and SFE was performed as a self-exercise, between sessions, for one week. The difference in foot length and navicular height were assessed at baseline, after Session 1, before Session 2, and one week after Session 2. These differences were compared between the two groups using the Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

In terms of navicular height change, the USBF group (7.5 ± 4.3 mm) was significantly higher than the control group (4.2 ± 3.3 mm) one week after session 2 (p= 0.04, effect size = 0.86).

CONCLUSION

SFE with USBF is an effective intervention for performing SFE.

Gluteus medius muscle strengthening exercise effects on medial longitudinal arch height in individuals with flexible flatfoot: a randomized controlled trial

This study aimed to compare the effects of 8 weeks of foot plus hip exercise to foot exercise alone on medial longitudinal arch (MLA) parameters; navicular drop (ND), arch height index (AHI), plantar pressure, static balance, and dynamic balance were measured at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. A total of 52 healthy participants with bilateral flatfoot were randomly assigned into foot exercise (n=26) and foot plus hip exercise (n=26) group. At 4 weeks, the foot plus hip exercise group showed significantly less ND (P=0.002), plantar pressure at the medial forefoot (P=0.002), and mediolateral displacement (P=0.001) while showing a greater AHI (P=0.019) than the foot exercise group. At 8 weeks, there was also significantly less plantar pressure at the medial hindfoot (P=0.017) and less anteroposterior displacement (P=0.002) in the foot plus hip exercise group than in the foot exercise group. No significant differences between groups were found in dynamic balance. The addition of gluteus medius muscle strengthening exercise to foot exercise was more effective in supporting the MLA than performing foot exercise alone.