발목불안정을 가진 성인을 대상으로 맨발걷기와 신발걷기 운동의 고유수용성 감각, 근활성도 및 동적균형에 미치는 영향 비교 연구

• Published in: 대한정형도수물리치료학회지 Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: 김민규, 정승은, 정찬주
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Korean
• Published: 대한정형도수물리치료학회 30.04.2025
• Subjects: 물리치료학; Propriocept; Muscle Activity; Ankle Instability; Barefoot Walking Exercise; Balance; Proprioception
• ISSN: 1226-3680; 2508-7282
• DOI: 10.23101/kaompt.2025.31.1.1

Background: Chronic ankle instability can result in balance and gait impairments because of weakness in the ankle muscles and reduced proprioceptive function. Barefoot walking is distinct from walking in shoes with regard to kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity. Moreover, outdoor walking exhibits significant differences from indoor walking across eight environmental factors, including variations in surrounding conditions, ground characteristics, external physical loads, and attentional demands. Community‑based barefoot walking leverages natural terrain and minimal equipment to provide an accessible, low‑cost intervention that may more effectively stimulate ankle sensorimotor pathways. This study examined the effects of barefoot walking exercises on proprioception, muscle activity, and balance in adults with chronic ankle instability. Methods: Thirty participants with chronic ankle instability were recruited and randomly assigned to one of two groups: an experimental group (barefoot walking exercise) and a control group (shoe walking exercise). The participants in both groups engaged in their respective exercises for six weeks, with sessions conducted five times per week for 40 minutes each. The assessments were performed before and after the intervention. Results: After the intervention, significant improvements in proprioception were observed in the experimental group for dorsiflexion and plantar flexion (p<.05). Regarding muscle activity, the experimental group showed significant changes in the tibialis anterior and peroneal muscles (p<.05), while no significant differences were observed in the gastrocnemius muscle (p>.05). The balance variables showed significant improvements in all measured directions (p<.05). Conclusion: Community‑based barefoot walking exercise is effective in enhancing proprioception, selectively augmenting ankle muscle activation, and improving dynamic balance in adults with chronic ankle instability. This simple, low‑resource intervention may be readily incorporated into rehabilitation programs to optimize functional outcomes.