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

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kudo, Shintarou^{a; b; c; d; *} | Hatanaka, Mizuki^c | Kanazawa, Seiya^c | Hirakawa, Keisuke^b | Hara, Shigeyuki^{a; e} | Tsutsumi, Masahiro^{a; b}

Affiliations: [a] Inclusive Medical Sciences Research Institute, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka, Japan | [b] Graduate School of Health Sciences, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka, Japan | [c] Department of Physical Therapy, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka, Japan | [d] AR-Ex Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan | [e] Department of Rehabilitation, Kindai University Nara Hospital, Nara, Japan

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Shintarou Kudo, Inclusive Medical Sciences Research Institute, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, 1-26-14 Nanko-kita Suminoe Ward, Osaka City 559-8611, Osaka, Japan. Tel.: +81 6 6616 6911; Fax: +81 6 6616 6912; E-mail: kudo@morinomiya-u.ac.jp.

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: Foot exercise, ultrasonography, motor learning, bio-feedback

DOI: 10.3233/BMR-230163

Journal: Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 671-678, 2024