Abstract
Abstract Introduction Declines in postural stability in standing with aging are associated with a reduction in ankle muscle control. Increasing postural sway may lead to fall and limit activities of daily living in elderly people. There are evidences demonstrate that exercise interventions can improve postural stability and decrease risk of falling. However, to our knowledge, there are no studies have reported the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) of ankle muscles on postural stability in elderly people. So, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of 4-week FES protocols applied to ankle dorsiflexor and plantar flexor muscles on postural stability in elderly adults. Methods Ten elderly adults (67.5±6.9) participated in this study. Electrical stimulation (biphasic pulse current with a pulse duration of 0.3 ms, 50 Hz) for bilateral ankle dorsiflexor and plantar flexor muscles combined with standing balance, 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Postural sway was assessed using Lord’s sway meter during standing on 4 sensory conditions. Balance and gait speed were assessed using short physical performance battery (SPPB). All outcome measures were performed before and after 4-week period. Results After 4-week, all subjects showed decreased postural sway during standing on 4 sensory conditions. But statistical significance was clearly achieved for eyes closed and closed on foam surface condition. Gait speed time and score of SPPB was significantly different between before and after training. Discussion and Conclusion Findings from this study showed that FES of ankle muscles in standing positions for 4-week period could improve postural stability and gait speed in elderly adults. The decrease in postural sway could possibly explain by the better coordinated control of both ankle dorsiflexor and plantar flexor muscles in standing balance. However, this study assessed only the immediate effect of training. Further study should be to determine whether long-term effect.
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