NCT05319626

Immediate Effects of Two Different Lower Limb Sensory Stimulation Strategies on Balance and Mobility in Older Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 24 (actual)
• Sponsor: Gazi University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Falls are a major public health problem worldwide. As a result of changes in sensory system capacity with aging, postural control decreases and the risk of falling increases. Various lower-limb sensory stimulation strategies are applied to compensate for these changes in sensory system capacity. It has been determined that these practices can have positive effects on postural control. Among these stimulation strategies, compression stockings and textured insoles are frequently preferred because of their cost-effectiveness and ease of application. For these purpose, this study aims to examine the immediate effects of wearing textured insoles and compression stockings on balance and mobility in older adults. Thus, we will sight to discern whether interventions of the textured insoles and compression materials improve sensory afferent feedback in the foot.

Detailed description

Within-subject experimental design with all participants tests under each of four randomly organized conditions: (i) Compression socks with textured insoles, (ii) Compression socks with smooth insoles, (iii) Smooth socks with textured insoles, (iv) Smooth socks with smooth insoles. With each condition, the participants are given a 5-minute warm-up period to get used to the insoles and stocking conditions, and then the testing process consisting of balance, mobility and foot sensation assessments is started. All data are collected randomly in a single testing session by the same researcher blind to the conditions.Before all data collection, each participant has a practice of test process to ensure familiarity with the devices and the procedures. A rest period of 10 minutes are given between applications.

Conditions

• Elderly
• Balance

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	compression socks	The compression socks have a clinical pressure of 23-30 mm Hg. The socks are dressed to the participants based on the manufacturer's sizing guidelines.
OTHER	textured insoles	The textured insoles have small, pyramidal peaks with centre-to-centre distances of approximately 2.5 mm (Evalite Pyramid EVA, 3 mm thickness, shore value A50, black). The insoles cut to a range of men's and women's standard EU shoe sizes. During the testing process, they are worn within a standardised shoe.
OTHER	smooth socks	The smooth socks are a commercial stocking that does not have a compression feature, but has a similar thickness and color to the compression stocking. They have standard size.
OTHER	smooth insoles	The smooth insoles have a completely flat surface (Evalite Pyramid EVA, 3 mm thickness, shore value A50, black). The insoles cut to a range of men's and women's standard EU shoe sizes. During the testing process, they are worn within a standardised shoe.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-10-18
• Primary completion: 2023-04-18
• Completion: 2023-06-20
• First posted: 2022-04-08
• Last updated: 2023-06-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)