Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan, Korea | [b] Department of Long Term Care Support, National Health Insurance Service, Busan Regional Headquarters, Busan, Korea | [c] Department of Physical Therapy, Inje University, Gimhae, Korea
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Jae-Seop Oh, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Inje University, 607 Obang-Dong, Gimhae-Si, Gyeongsangnam-Do, 50834, Korea. Tel.: +82 55 320 3679; Fax: +82 55 329 1678; E-mail: ysrehab@inje.ac.kr.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Active interventions for pes planus, including short-foot exercises (SF) and toe-spread-out exercises (TSO), aim to continuously support the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) by activating the abductor hallucis (AbdH) muscle. However, compensatory movements, such as ankle supination and/or plantar flexion, often occur during these exercises. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a novel exercise, i.e., the toe-tap (TT) exercise on AbdH activity and MLA angle. METHODS: A total of 16 participants with pes planus participated in this study. Participants performed SF, TSO, and TT exercises. Electromyographic activity of the AbdH and MLA angle during three AbdH contraction exercises were recorded using surface EMG system and digital image analysis program, respectively. The differences in outcome measures among the three exercises were analyzed using one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: The EMG activity of the AbdH was significantly greater during the TT exercise compared to the SF and TSO exercises. The MLA angle was significantly smaller during the TT exercise compared with the SF and TSO exercises. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the TT exercise could be effective in activating the AbdH and increasing height of the MLA, as part of a sports rehabilitation program for individuals with pes planus.
Keywords: Abductor hallucis, medial longitudinal arch, pes planus
