NCT02115932

Effect of Physical Therapy in Improving the Health of Patients With Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

The Effectiveness of Strength and Balance Training in Patients With Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy on Quality of Life and Functional Status: a Randomized Controlled Trial With Cost-utility Analysis

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 143 (actual)
• Sponsor: National University Health System, Singapore · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 40 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

People with diabetes can have nerve damage in their extremities (peripheral neuropathy), and this can lead them to being less able to maintain their balance when they are standing, walking or performing complex movement tasks in their day-to-day life. This results in them being more prone to falls, and consequent injuries. The purpose of this study is to determine whether providing strength and balance retraining (in the form of specific physical exercises or activities) can help people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy regain their ability to maintain their balance, increase their confidence in performing balance-based activities and improve their quality of life.

Detailed description

Individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) comprise 16-24% of patients with diabetes mellitus in Singapore, and this is set to rise with the increasing prevalence of diabetes. DPN is also associated with the greatest reduction in health related quality of life (HRQoL) among all diabetic complications, specifically PCS (Physical health Component Summary) and its sub-components, physical functioning and physical role. However, there is currently no intervention that targets individuals with DPN for improvements in HRQoL and functional status. The investigators hypothesise that a targeted intervention providing strength and balance training will improve HRQoL and functional status in patients with DPN, which will be sufficiently large relative to increases in cost to make the intervention cost-efficient. The specific aims of the study are to test the effectiveness of a structured strength and balance training intervention in 1) improving the physical health component summary (PCS) measure of health related quality of life, 2) functional status, and 3) assessing cost-utility of the intervention, in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

Conditions

• Diabetic Neuropathies
• Peripheral Nervous System Diseases

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Strength & Balance Training	Subjects will be guided through 8 weeks (1 hour per week) of home-based strength and balance training sessions. During each session, a trainer will guide subjects to perform muscle strengthening, range of motion, static balance, dynamic balance and endurance exercises, after an initial warm up. They will also be given advice on continuing such training as well as daily walking for the rest of the week.

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-07-30
• Primary completion: 2018-03-16
• Completion: 2018-03-16
• First posted: 2014-04-16
• Last updated: 2018-07-10

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Singapore