Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) combined with physiotherapy on improving balance and reducing falls in older adults. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 older adults aged 65 and above with a history of falls. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Ankle-Foot Orthoses (AFO), Physiotherapy (PT), and Combined Therapy (AFO + PT). Balance was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and fall incidence was recorded over a 12-week period. Results: The Combined Therapy group showed significant improvements in BBS scores (mean improvement of 16.3 points) and a greater reduction in fall incidence (0 falls) compared to the AFO group (mean improvement of 11.1 points, 2 falls) and the PT group (mean improvement of 11.6 points, 1 fall) with p-values of <0.05. Conclusion: The combination of AFOs and physiotherapy significantly improves balance and reduces fall incidence in older adults more effectively than either intervention alone. These findings support the use of combined therapy in clinical practice to enhance fall prevention strategies in the elderly population.
Published Version
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