Sensorimotor training improves gait, ankle joint proprioception, and quality of life in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial

• Published in: American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation
• Main Authors: Saleh, Marwa Shafiek Mustafa, Elbanna, Rana Hesham Mohamed, Abdelhakiem, Nadia Mohamed, Abdalla, Ghada Abd Elmoniem
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2024
• ISSN: 1537-7385
• DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002453

To investigate the effect of Sensorimotor Training (SMT) on gait, ankle joint proprioception, and quality of life in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) patients. A prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled experiment was performed. Forty patients with DPN aged 50 to 65 yrs were distributed randomly into two groups, the SMT group (n = 20) and the control group (n = 20). Both groups attended awareness sessions about diabetes and foot care for 30 minutes, every two weeks. Moreover, the SMT group received 6wk (3 days/week) of SMT. Spatiotemporal gait parameters, proprioception accuracy of the ankle joint, and quality of life were measured before and after 6 weeks of intervention. Regarding baseline data, no significant differences were identified among groups (p > 0.05). After 6wk intervention, the SMT group exhibited significant improvements in all outcome variables (p < 0.001), while the control group showed significant changes in quality of life only (p = 0.03). Comparing groups after intervention reveals statistically significant differences in all measured variables in favor of the SMT group (p < 0.001). Sensorimotor training may improve spatiotemporal gait parameters, ankle joint proprioception, and quality of life of patients with DPN.