Department of Physical Therapy For Pediatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt.
Department of Physical Therapy For Pediatrics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt.
Gait Posture. 2021 Jul;88:297-303. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.06.008. Epub 2021 Jun 12.
Flexible flatfeet are common among children being scarcely symptomatic requires no specific treatment and resolves spontaneously. However, flexible flatfoot tends to advance and deteriorate overtime and eventually resulting in significant impairments such as plantar fasciitis and patellofemoral pain syndrome.
What is the effect of corrective exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation in children with flexible flatfeet?
This is a randomized controlled trial with 72 children, seven to twelve yearsold, randomly assigned to either intervention or control group (36 children for each group) and engaged in a four months (3 sessions/week) of corrective exercise and neuromuscular electrical stimulation or corrective exercise and sham neuromuscular electrical stimulation respectively. Assessments of Staheli's arch index (through foot print), navicular drop (through navicular drop test) and radiographic indexes (through anterior-posterior and medio-lateral X-ray) of both feet were performed before and after the intervention programs.
Study groups were comparable with respect to all outcome measures at entry (P > 0.05). Within group comparison showed significant improvements in all measured variables. Further, between groups comparison revealed significant higher improvements (P < 0.05) in right and left feet Staheli's arch index, navicular drop as well as the radiographic indexes in favor of the intervention group.
Integration of corrective exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation is more effective than exercises alone for providing clinical and radiological improvements in children with flexible flatfeet.
柔性平足在儿童中很常见，症状不明显不需要特殊治疗，会自发缓解。然而，柔性平足会随着时间的推移而进展和恶化，最终导致明显的损伤，如足底筋膜炎和髌股疼痛综合征。
矫正运动和神经肌肉电刺激对柔性平足儿童有什么影响？
这是一项随机对照试验，纳入 72 名 7 至 12 岁的儿童，随机分为干预组和对照组（每组 36 名儿童），分别接受为期四个月（每周 3 次）的矫正运动和神经肌肉电刺激或矫正运动和假神经肌肉电刺激。分别在干预前后对双脚的 Staheli 足弓指数（通过足印）、舟骨下降（通过舟骨下降试验）和放射学指数（前后位和内外侧位 X 线）进行评估。
两组在所有纳入指标上均具有可比性（P > 0.05）。组内比较显示所有测量变量均有显著改善。此外，组间比较显示，干预组在右足和左足的 Staheli 足弓指数、舟骨下降以及放射学指数方面的改善更为显著（P < 0.05）。
矫正运动和神经肌肉电刺激的结合比单独运动更能有效提供柔性平足儿童的临床和放射学改善。
