Can strengthening core and foot muscles improve ankle movement in people with flat feet?

Not yet recruiting

Conditions: Young adults having flat foot deformity

Registration Number: CTRI/2025/05/087817

Lead Sponsor: Nitte Institute of Physiotherapy NITTE deemed to be univer

Brief Summary: **Introduction**Flatfoot is a condition characterized by the collapse of the medial longitudinal arch, which affects gait and weight distribution. This study explores how strengthening exercises targeting core muscles and intrinsic foot muscles can impact foot posture and biomechanics, potentially improving stability, shock absorption, and reducing associated musculoskeletal disorders.

**Need for the Study**Flatfoot is linked to conditions like scoliosis, lower back pain, and knee issues. While short foot exercises have been shown to improve foot posture, their combined effect with core strengthening on ankle joint kinematics remains underexplored. This study aims to fill this research gap. The study aims to assess the combined effect of core muscle strengthening and short foot exercises on the kinematics of the ankle joint in individuals with flat feet.

**Methodology**

- **Study Design:** Quasi-experimental

- **Participants:** Young adults (18-25 years) with flatfoot from the NITTE Institute

- **Sample Size:** 34 (17 per group)

- **Intervention:** Experimental group receives both **core muscle strengthening and short foot exercises**, while the control group receives **only short foot exercises**

- **Duration:** 8 weeks (40-minute sessions, 3 times per week)

- **Outcome Measures:** GaitON software for motion analysis, OHM 3000 for plantar pressure assessment, and Foot Posture Index

**Expected Outcome**The study hypothesizes that the combination of core strengthening and foot exercises will result in significant improvements in ankle joint kinematics compared to short foot exercises alone. Statistical analysis will be conducted using SPSS software.

This research will contribute to physiotherapy interventions for flatfoot, providing evidence-based rehabilitation strategies for improving foot posture and movement mechanics.

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Not Yet Recruiting

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 34

Inclusion Criteria

Young adults with flat foot from NITTE Institute of Physiotherapy 2.
Age 18-25 years old 3.
Students have flat foot 4.
Navicular drop test score exceeding 9mm 5.
Foot posture index (FPI) score 6 to 12.

Exclusion Criteria

1.Having rigid flat foot 2.Participants reporting foot disorders (hallux valgus, hallux rigidus) 3.Participants with neurologic or orthopedic problems that can affect the lower extremity 4.Participants with a history of hip, ankle and knee surgery.

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
To determine the joint kinematics in ankle and knee joint Gait-ON software in treadmill is used.	Once the individual is included in the study, readings will be taken as baseline values (Pre) and after 8 weeks of treatment (Post).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
OHM 3000, a plantar pressure system	Foot Posture Index

Trial Locations

Locations (1): InstitutionalEthicsCommittee ofNITTE InstituteofPhysiotherapy
🇮🇳
Kannada, KARNATAKA, India
InstitutionalEthicsCommittee ofNITTE InstituteofPhysiotherapy
🇮🇳Kannada, KARNATAKA, India
Vishal Parmar
Principal investigator
8955292573
vp073567@gmail.com