Clinical trial NCT05859685: Manual Ankle Therapy on Fear of Falls, Range of Motion, and Functionality and Stability in Geriatric Patients
Official title: Efficacy of Manual Ankle Therapy on Fear of Falls, Range of Motion, and Functionality and Stability in Geriatric Patients. A Randomized, Double-blind Clinical Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Old Age; Atrophy
Lead sponsor: Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-05-16
Enrollment: 12
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 65
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The range of movement of the ankle decreases with age and the plantar arch decreases, adopting a more pronated position of the foot.

The main objective is to analyze the effectiveness of manual therapy using ankle joint techniques in geriatric patients.

Randomized, double-blind clinical trial with follow-up period. Subjects will be assigned to control and experimental groups using a data analysis tool (Excel).

The dependent variable will be the fear of falls. The secondary variables will be the range of movement in dorsiflexion of the ankle, and the functionality and stability of the lower limbs.

Three evaluations will be carried out. A baseline measurement before the start of the study (T0), after the intervention (T1) and after a 3-week follow-up period (T2).

A manual therapy protocol will be carried out, lasting 3 weeks with 1 weekly session. Each session will last 10 minutes. The patients included in the experimental group will undergo the following manual therapy techniques: talus dorsal sliding technique and joint technique in "8" on the Lisfranc and Chopart joints. The patients included in the control group underwent the same techniques as those indicated for the experimental group, but without sliding or placing joint tension. The periodicity and times of administration will be the same


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Subjects older than 65 years
* Subjects of both sexes
* With impaired balance and gait
* With joint limitation of ankle dorsiflexion
* With established functionality or stability deficits (for example, who need third parties or technical aids to walk (crutches))

Exclusion Criteria:

* People with cognitive impairment that prevents their collaboration in the intervention and the different evaluations
* People with inability to stand
* People who have not given their written consent.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline fear of falls after treatment and at 3 three weeks
timeFrame: Screening visit, within the first seven days after treatment and after three weeks follow-up
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline ankle range of motion after treatment and at 3 three weeks
timeFrame: Screening visit, within the first seven days after treatment and after three weeks follow-up
measure: Change from baseline biomechanical analysis of gait and balance after treatment and at 3 three weeks
timeFrame: Screening visit, within the first seven days after treatment and after three weeks follow-up
measure: Change from baseline functionality after treatment and at 3 three weeks
timeFrame: Screening visit, within the first seven days after treatment and after three weeks follow-up
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Murcia
country: Spain
facility: Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
Study officials:
affiliation: Universidad de Oviedo
name: Rubén Cuesta-Barriuso, PhD
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References: